Wild Ride
by Sass Master
Summary: FINAL CHAPTER UP! For real this time. When there's not enough room in the buggy, Tifa has to sit on Vincent's lap...
1. Grinding to a Halt

A.N.: This is the most sexual fic I've ever written.

…XD I swore that would be the first line of my AN for this fic. Anyway.

It's morphin' time! …I mean, uhh, it's mystery pairing time. XD Guess it's not much of a mystery now! I didn't want to give it away in the summary, but I also wanted to draw in as many people as possible. So I hope that worked at least. And now I hope I don't disappoint. I'm new at this after all!

**Big thankies to ladywinde for beta-ing. Go check out her latest at deviantart cause it's kickass and goes kinda well with this fic XD (I promised her a shameless plug).**

**Anyway, here goes nothing.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

She'd never heard of Gongaga before, so it didn't really surprise her that they'd passed it completely.

But why they had to go back now, after they'd already gone so far…

"Cloud," she pleaded, quickening her pace to keep up with him. "Do we… is it really necessary that we go to this place?"

"You never know, Tifa. I don't want to take any chances."

"But…" They were hot on Sephiroth's trail, already past the Nibel Mountains and then some. "Shouldn't we keep going where we were going? What about Sephiroth?" She realized she probably should have argued sooner, before they'd already backtracked most of the way, consuming a lot of time that could have been spent in the right direction. A few weeks had already been wasted—turning back now would mean all the trekking was in vain.

Cloud stopped and shook his head. "He could be anywhere. And we may have missed something really important," She didn't say anything. He shook his head, probably realizing that they were wasting more time. "Come on. With those directions, I think I know where we're going now. We just need the buggy to get back over the river."

Tifa stayed put as he walked away, eventually lowering her eyes. There'd be no arguing with him. He really was quite stubborn when he had his mind made up about something. The rest of the group went on ahead of her. She jumped a bit when the last of them, Vincent, brushed past her.

He walked a few paces and turned back to her. "Coming?"

"Y-yeah. I'll be right there."

He seemed satisfied with her answer and continued following everyone else.

The buggy was right where they'd left it, nearly months ago. Cloud was standing outside the car and giving her an odd look when she arrived. "Tifa? There's kind of a problem…"

"Huh?" But as she looked at the packed car, it became obvious. Before they'd reached Rocket Town, the buggy could just barely contain all of them. It seated eight, but it was a rather tight fit. But now with Cid in the party, there was definitely no way they could make room for a ninth person…

"There's not enough space," Cloud said. "You're gonna have to sit on someone's lap or something," he said as if it were no big deal casually, getting in the driver's seat.

Tifa stared into the open door. Yuffie was crammed in the way back with a chain smoker and a giant stuffed mog, making a big show of being unhappy about it. Red XIII was on the opposite side of Tifa in the middle row, with Aeris next to him. Barrett sat shotgun, so that left Tifa's only viable option right in front of her…

Cloud turned around when he noticed she was still standing outside. "C'mon Tifa," he urged her. "I think we can get there pretty quick if we get moving."

Tifa tried to fight her nervousness as she looked up. "V-Vincent?" she stammered. "Would you mind if…?" Saying it out loud seemed so embarrassing.

Luckily, he seemed to get the hint. His eyebrows rose briefly. "Not at all."

He seemed to be smirking under that cloak, but there was no way she could really tell other than trying to read it in his eyes.

Knowing she was holding up the group, she did her best to control her nerves and—she gulped—climb into his lap…

When she was finally seated and thoroughly red in the face, she heard a deep voice behind her that gave her shivers. "Comfortable?"

What a question. "Yeah… Fine."

When the voice came again, this time much closer to her ear, she was a bit startled. "Tifa?"

"Yes…?"

"The door?"

"O-oh! …Right." Great. Not only was this terribly awkward, but now she felt like an idiot.

Never had she imagined that she'd be in a position like this with Vincent. Well, maybe she had imagined it _occasionally_…

Not that this was any time for indulging in fantasy. Reality needed her attention. Just what exactly was proper decorum in this situation? Sure, she had actually been developing a somewhat close rapport with Vincent over the weeks since the group had found him in Nibelheim, but it wasn't exactly physical.

And she refused to admit to herself that maybe she wanted it to be.

But the fact of that matter was that it was just plain uncomfortable to be thrown into such an arrangement with someone who she'd never been close to in a _remotely_ similar way. Feeling that leaning back against him would be a little too intimate, she opted to shift her weight forward and away from him.

It was working fine until the car stopped short. Instinctively, she grabbed his knee to prevent herself from falling over, paying no mind to where her hand was.

Cloud turned around and frowned at her. "Tifa, do you think you could sit back? You're making me nervous."

"Umm…" Did she have to? "All right…" When she sat back, she didn't realize she'd dragged her hand with her… all the way up Vincent's leg.

She paused for a moment, before quickly removing it. Should she apologize? What if he hadn't even noticed? If he hadn't, she definitely wasn't going to call his attention to it. She dared not turn around and risk meeting his eyes, so she just settled in for the rest of the trip.

When she was pressed against him, she couldn't ignore the slight crush she'd developed since she met him. He undoubtedly was a very nice person to talk to, but personality certainly wasn't the only reason she was drawn to him. She really couldn't help it. He was an intimidating man, that was for sure, but that didn't stop her from finding him incredibly good looking. She always did have a soft spot for those 'tall, dark and handsome' guys. Plus, he did have that whole mysterious thing going for him… It was hard not to be fascinated by him. And hopelessly attracted to him.

Squirming with unease, she wondered if he felt the same.

Well, if he _did_, there was no way she'd ever be able to tell. She was an open book when it came to things like that—the blush she wore was enough proof—but he was a walking enigma. His words were few and far between, and he was nearly impossible to read otherwise. She found it a bit frustrating. Some sick part of her just _had_ to know if his thoughts about her were anything like her thoughts about him.

She shifted a bit and froze. Was that—? Oh god. _No_. No… it couldn't be. Right? He had a bunch of stuff attached to his pants, right? And two belts! So it couldn't possibly…

Before she could stop herself, she was back to wondering what he might have been thinking about her. And she was squirming again.

She mentally chastised herself for such notions. Vincent was a gentleman. Then she nearly laughed. He was still a _man _though…

"Tifa," His voice jarred her from he reverie. "Perhaps you could stop fidgeting? I find it very… distracting."

She bit her lip and realized what she must have been doing to him. "Sorry."

He used a somewhat indulgent-sounding 'hmm' before he spoke. "It is nothing to be sorry for." His voice sounded lower.

Tifa wanted to fidget all over again. She told herself to calm down. It would be more reasonable to assume that that was his way of telling her not to worry about it, not his way of saying, 'I really like it when you move around in my lap.'

"Would you sit forward for a moment?"

She finally found the nerve to turn and face him. There was a tense moment when their eyes locked. "Umm… Cloud said not—" She paused, totally lost in his gaze. "…Okay." It was something about his eyes, that damn voice of his. Something unexplainable about him that compelled her to do whatever he said.

She leaned forward hoping to lessen some of the tension, but she realized that, if anything, it only pushed their hips closer together. She heard rustling and clicking behind her. What was he doing? Suddenly, a flash of red filled her vision, and his cloak went flying past her to the floor. She blushed at the fact that his clothing was being removed.

She failed to prevent a surprised gasp when his hands seized her shoulders and pulled her back to him, letting out a contented sigh. By the time she had settled against his chest again, the fact that he had removed his cloak was painfully obvious to her. Where before she had felt thick fabric and buckles, she felt muscles and… body heat.

"It was warm," he explained.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's getting pretty hot." Too late she realized the connotation of her words.

Knowing his eyes were on her, she turned to look at him, mouth slightly agape in a silent embarrassed gasp. The eye contact seemed very deliberate, as did his speech. His gaze was boring into hers, and the timbre of his voice changed to what she could only describe as seductive. "Hot indeed."

She managed to tear her eyes away, fixing them on the floor. But her gaze turned shocked when a gold claw had wrapped itself around her bare waist. It felt warm, not cold like she expected, and she could feel the slight vibration of whirring gears under the metal. She stared at it. She had always found that claw strangely alluring. The talons looked sharp. She wondered if they would cut her skin.

She wondered if they could tear her clothes…

She ceased that thought and turned to him with eyes wide, a question hidden within.

"I want you thrown on the bed."

"Wh-_what_?"

"I don't want you thrown from the car," he repeated. "You have no seatbelt." She clearly was letting her imagination get the better of her.

Really, it was hard to ignore the similarity between the position she was in and the ones in her daydreams. Usually at this point, the claw had wandered a little higher, and his tongue was somewhere on her skin…

But this was reality, she quickly reminded herself, and it was different. Though reality provoked a number of thoughts as well.

Despite the coffin thing, he wasn't a vampire. But if he happened to feel the urge to place a bite on her very-exposed neck then… she wouldn't complain. She watched him carefully through the corner of her eye, nearly gasping when his tongue darted out to lick his lips.

…Was he thinking of putting that mouth to better use?

Her mind was officially frolicking in the gutter, and she found herself fidgeting, totally uncaring of what effect it might have been having on him. She didn't even notice that his other hand had been on her hip until it had wandered down to her thigh.

She stared fixedly at it. His hand was not supposed to be there. That was certainly not appropriate. However, she was embarrassed to find that she didn't mind even a little. And she was completely aware that both of his hands could very easily slip into places they were not supposed to be. She briefly wondered what would result from the car going over a bump at that very moment.

She turned bright red at that thought. What kind of girl was she turning into?

She then noticed that Aeris was watching her intently. When Tifa turned, she received a very inquisitive look. She tried to send one back that said she really had no idea what was going on. Aeris shook her head and continued to watch the scenery pass by through the windows.

His hand twitched and, against her better judgment, she turned to look at him. He had a slightly amused expression, eyebrow raised, simply _daring _her to tell him to remove his hand. They both knew she wouldn't. Her eyes narrowed slightly in her realization.

He was doing it on purpose. He knew he was getting to her, and he was messing with her.

…Well two could play at that game, couldn't they? Maybe _she _could make _him_ squirm…

And so the game began.

She slid her hand intentionally across the claw on her waist, and up to the hem of her shirt. She tugged at it, adjusting which portions of her skin were exposed. When she was satisfied, she continued by arching her back just so, in a way that gave him a very clear view.

When he noticed what she was doing, he very unabashedly took advantage of the display she was giving him. He stared for quite some time, until he had a smirk on his face. Then he turned to her with a look that clearly said 'Are you coming on to me?'

And she blushed furiously, comprehending that that was _exactly_ what she was doing. Not only that, but her plan to make him sweat had failed fantastically.

Suddenly his lips were mere millimeters from her ear. She realized that he was speaking so that only she could hear him. "Tell me…" She got shivers again. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

She licked her lips, carefully deciding how she should answer. "I don't know… what are you thinking?"

"Hmm…" His flesh hand had moved almost imperceptibly higher. "Are you sure you want to hear it? It may make you blush even more than you are now…"

As if on cue, her face flushed. But she refused to let him see that, determinedly keeping her eyes forward, fixed on the headrest of the driver's seat.

"Would you like a hint?" He continued through her silence.

She nodded.

"It involves you…" He lowered his voice even more, so she had to lean closer to him to hear what he was saying. "And what I want to do to you."

Her breathing had definitely deepened now, and she swallowed hard before continuing, keeping her voice as low as his. "And… what's that?" She couldn't believe she was asking.

His fingers were inching their way under her skirt. "Mmm. I want to—"

Suddenly the tires screeched and the car made a sharp right. Cloud rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that guys. Almost missed the turn. But we're here now."

Tifa sat there dumbstruck as the car rolled to a stop. What had he been about to say? She couldn't just _ask_ him…

She instinctively curled into him when Yuffie launched herself from the back row, over their heads and out the car door, complaining about motion sickness. It only took moments for the buggy to be empty.

He made no efforts to let her go. "Hmm. Just when the ride was becoming enjoyable."

"Y-yeah…" That was for sure. She found herself lost in his eyes again. Their faces were so close. She wondered if he was going to close the scant distance between them. She wondered if he was expecting _her _to do it. "Vincent? …I don't think I need a seatbelt anymore," Still he didn't remove his claw from her waist. If anything, his grip tightened. "The… the others will be waiting." And she certainly didn't want to be caught in a position like this.

Slowly he released his hold on her, and she wasted no time in getting out of the buggy. He immediately was behind her. Before closing the door, she leaned inside. "Here," she bent over to the floor, and she could feel his eyes on her. "Your cloak."

"Thank you," he said, taking it. Suddenly his eyes spoke volumes to her, things only she was meant to be a part of. Things one wouldn't share in mixed company.

"I…" She tried to divert the conversation by making chitchat, "I'm really glad we're here. I could use a shower," she explained, stretching her arms above her as they walked.

He was very close to her. "Hmm. A cold one perhaps?"

She nearly stopped in her tracks. This wasn't fair…

"Unless of course…" When he put his hand on her hip, she really did stop. "You'd rather join me for a hot shower instead?"

She gaped at him. He wasn't serious. He couldn't be. God, he was cruel—why did he have to do this to her?

Quickly composing herself, she chuckled a bit. "I don't think so," She started sauntering away from him. "But see how effective _your _cold shower is when you're thinking of me taking mine."

She didn't look back or heed to the sound of footsteps behind her.

Instead she strode into Gongaga, the first bout of their little game over, the victorious, self-proclaimed winner of round one.

XXXXXXXXX 

**A.N.: I'm totally senile right now, so I think I forgot how I wanted to end this fic. Whoops. Hopefully it wasn't too bad.**

**Well that was my first crack at VinTi! My affinity for this pairing has kind of been showing through in my recent fics so… it was inevitable I spose XD**

**Reviews are love! Especially considering that this is new to me and I'm very unsure. Feedback will determine whether or not I continue this in some form. **


	2. DriveThru

**A.N.: OMG I'm back. These author's note are gonna be long, so bear with me. Or don't. Just read anf leave a review and I will love you XD**

**First of all, you guys have been amazing with your response to this fic! It really built my confidence, enough to make this a full-fledged multichap. Thanks for the support.**

I believe my reaction to opening my inbox and seeing 12 reviews after one day was 'Hot damn!' XD I'll have to double-check with my friend who was with me at the time, but I'm pretty sure that was it.

**For anyone questioning whether or not Vincent is OOC:**

**As far as I'm concerned, Vincent had too small of a role in FF7 to have a very concrete personality. That makes me feel like I have a lot of freedom. I also think that there is somewhat of a standard fan-created personality that people buy into which contradicts me theory. But at any rate, it's also my belief that I should be justifying this in my writing, not in outside notes. So I'm asking you to all to trust me : ) I won't do anything crazily OOC, and anything you may be questioning WILL be justified by the end.**

**I hope.**

**Anyway! Put this one on alert folks, cause I'm in for the long run. Hope ya like.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

After a nice long shower—only mildly cold, thank you very much—and a change of clothes, Tifa joined the rest of her group for dinner.

After her incident in the buggy, she'd abandoned her skirt in favor of some cotton shorts that would allow her a bit more… _security_. With the low-cut tank top she was wearing, it completed the outfit she'd probably go to bed in. She didn't think anyone would mind or notice that she was attending dinner in her pajamas.

The innkeeper was nice enough to give them use of his extra room for free so they could eat and determine their next plan of action. Tifa assumed it was probably intended for business conferences, but it was plain that Gongaga didn't often have many visitors at once.

She took her seat at the nearly empty table. Only she, Cloud and Nanaki had arrived, and it was fairly silent. Cloud wouldn't start whatever briefing he had in mind until everyone was there, and they couldn't eat until Aeris and Yuffie returned with the food. They had apparently volunteered while she was in the shower.

By the time the girls had arrived with dinner, almost everyone had made it to the table. Every person except one, but she was trying not to notice that he in particular was missing.

Trying and _failing_, but trying all the same.

As if on cue he entered the room. His eyes seemed to be focused on nothing but her. In an instant she was reminded of the afternoon. And still, she couldn't shake her curiosity—what she'd give to find out what he was thinking.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bowl of teriyaki chicken and noodles being placed in front of her. She looked up at Aeris. "Did you get any vegetables?" Tifa valued a balanced diet, and being on the road made her worry that she might not be getting the proper nutrition. And considering what they were up against—ShinRa, Sephiroth—she wanted to be as healthy as possible.

Aeris looked apologetic and shook her head.

"Salad…? Nothing…?"

"No… Sorry," She paused for a moment in thought. "Oh wait, we have some fruit though."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said retrieving some strawberries. "Yuffie wanted to go all out for ice cream sundaes." She gestured to the shopping bag.

"Wow," Tifa said. Yuffie had really gotten the works. Chocolate sauce, sprinkles, butterscotch, walnuts, cherries, whipped cream…

Aeris laughed slightly. "Yeah, I know. The only problem is—"

She was cut off by an anguished cry from Yuffie. "Ahhh! I can't BELIEVEit!"

Tifa raised an eyebrow and Aeris laughed harder. "She forgot to get the ice cream."

Another distressed sound came from Yuffie as she plopped down in the seat next to Tifa, hiding her face in her folded arms on the table. Tifa couldn't suppress a chuckle but patted her reassuringly. "That's okay, we'll get some ice cream next time."

"Ooh," Aeris cut in. "Guess what I _did _get."

"What's that?" she asked, inspecting the strawberries. She looked up as Aeris pulled a bottle of red wine out of the shopping bag. "Ooh!" Tifa repeated. "I'll take a glass of that," she grinned.

"Okay guys," Cloud seemed ready to begin his consultation. Tifa took a large sip of wine and prayed that his briefing would actually be brief this time. "I know you're not happy I dragged you all out here, but…" He stopped and shook his head uncertainly. "I don't know. I have a feeling about this place. We're gonna get up early tomorrow to see what we can find, so get a good night's sleep."

Yuffie wasted no time in filling the silence that ensued, looking back and forth from her food to Cloud hopefully. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's all."

Everyone except Tifa eagerly dug into their dinner. Just as she took an experimental bite of a strawberry, she found her eyes locked with those of the figure seated across the table on Cloud's left. She fought the blush that rose all too quickly. Was he planning on watching her all night?

Taking a deeper drink of wine, she wondered if she should give him something to look at. She grew embarrassed with herself as she thought it, disbelieving that her mind had jumped there already.

But still, after that car ride, how could she possibly help it?

She took another bite, this time much slower, with intentional eye contact in his direction. He made no indication that he'd noticed her doing anything out of the ordinary, just continued staring in her direction.

Was he trying to drive her crazy or something? Maybe this would be harder than she thought.

She downed the rest of her glass, already needing a refill. When she took a sip from the fresh glass, she very carefully licked her lips clean of any stray liquid, trying to convey some kind of message to him with her gaze.

She only paused to wonder exactly what it was she was hoping to accomplish. Making him nervous the way he did to her had proven to be rather impossible. But she had learned one thing—he wasn't immune to teasing. That would have to be her advantage.

If he was going to frustrate her, she was going to do the same to him.

She hurriedly ate her dinner, this time avoiding looking at him. She didn't think she could manage to make eating chicken look sexy. When everyone's dishes were empty, she was only dimly aware of the fact that everyone—even Cloud—was making mealtime chitchat except for her and Vincent. They were too preoccupied in a silent battle of will and self-control.

She took a moment to tune into the conversation happening around her.

"I don't wannashare a room with him!" Yuffie complained loudly, gesturing to Cait Sith.

"He's a fuckin' robot! He ain't gonna bother nobody!" Barret slammed his gun arm on the table, causing everyone to jump.

"But it's not _fair_,"she continued. "I want my _own_ room! Why do _you _get your own room?" she demanded, glaring at Vincent.

"I'm afraid that is the luck of the draw."

Upon arriving at the inn and finding that it only had five rooms, they had drawn straws to see who would spend the night without a roommate. Tifa had hurried off to her shower after picking the longest straw in the bunch, so this was news to her.

At the exact right moment, Vincent looked her way. "You've got a room to yourself?" she asked, taking a few strands of hair and twirling them around her fingers—a perfectly innocent gesture with a subtext that was anything but.

"Yes," he replied, the beginnings of a smirk on his face. "I do."

"Well…" she said in the huskiest voice she could manage without sounding too obvious. "Aren't you lucky?"

"Perhaps. I am not sure."

She licked her lips just once, slowly, before continuing. "You never know. You just might be."

He seemed to notice at the same time she did that everyone was watching them, so he only replied with a brief 'hmm.' She found herself squirming as she imagined where the situation could have escalated to if they'd been alone.

Finishing her second glass, she was suddenly thankful for the slight buzz that the wine had given her. It was certainly making her feel a bit bolder. She picked up another strawberry, this time making it rather obvious that she was thinking of something other than what she was eating. One particularly sensual bite caused a drop of juice to land on the exposed skin of her chest. She made a rather big display of wiping it off.

Finding that she had nothing else to implement in her torture of Vincent, she sought other methods. She absently fiddled with her neckline, again drawing even more attention to the barely covered area. She leaned forward on the table to enhance the effect, flipping her hair to ensure that his view was unobstructed.

It would barely have been perceptible had she not been watching him so with such intensity, but she most definitely saw him fidget just _slightly_. She giggled silently to herself. She didn't even have to do anything. Men were so easy—they'd react to the simplest of things.

She wondered if she'd be more successful if he were seated next to her, rather than on the opposite end of the table. She was sure a well-timed brush of the leg would be more successful than anything she was trying to do from so far away.

On second thought, maybe that would be bad. If she were once again in such close proximity of him, she'd be an easy target. One touch from _him _under the table and she'd lose this round… probably willingly.

She indulged that fantasy just a little further, letting her mind wander. What sort of things could they get away with without anyone noticing? They'd gotten away with quite a _lot_ before, and that was with everything in plain sight. The cover of the table could allow them an opportunity for… lots of things. Shorts wouldn't stop him, she decided. Then he'd take her upstairs to finish what they started…

She didn't notice Yuffie watching her until her voice piped up beside her. "Geez Teef, you're falling out there."

She was so close to merely replying with 'I know,' too lost in her daydream, when she realized that all eyes were on her. She immediately blushed, leaning back. For the sake of the game, she didn't want to sacrifice the advantage she had, but the fixed stares made her feel obligated to adjust her shirt.

Well, this was no good. Now she had no more artillery to use on Vincent. Not only that, but there was something about being caught in the act ruined the overall effect of what she was going for.

She wished there really was some ice cream. A spoon could surely be used to her advantage. A few too-careful licks and it would be clear to him what she was thinking. She eyed the chocolate syrup, sighing. That was an aphrodisiac—it would have been perfect, had she some way to use it. But alas, no ice cream…

But she could still save herself, she concluded. Stifling her embarrassment, she managed to look at Vincent again, finding amusement in his eyes. This time, she gave up on pretending that what she was doing was unintentional. She gave him a smile, letting him see the deliberately impish gleam in her eye.

She fought hard not to blush again when she saw the same hidden lust reflected back at her. But she quickly regained her confidence when she saw his eyebrow twitch just a bit—a sure sign that she was getting to him.

She smiled again, this time to herself. This was a pretty easy game after all. He may have temporarily gained the upper hand when she had been most serendipitously thrown into his lap, but she'd gotten it back quite easily, and she intended to keep it.

Tifa decided was thankful for being seated so far away from him after all. She was sure that were she so close to him, she'd quickly lose her nerve. If he so much as spoke a word to her with that voice of his, all would be lost. So when the room started emptying out, everyone going to their respective rooms for that good night's sleep that Cloud spoke of, she wasted no time in following suit, for fear of being left alone with him. With Cid now gone, that left no one but a sleeping Nanaki on the floor and an all-too-attractive Vincent seated across from her.

"I think I'll go to bed now," she announced as if the room were still full, giving him a very pointed look as she spoke. He rewarded her with a look that clearly said that he wanted to get back at her and he was frustrated by the fact that he couldn't. She saved her victory smile for the walk back to her room, where no one could see it.

She was waiting for the elevator when she heard a voice.

"Tifa."

Oh _no_… She had nowhere to run and had no choice but to come face to face with Vincent.

"You left in quite a hurry."

She could still come out the winner, she reassured herself. Just because he was unbelievably sexy and being within ten feet of him had the ability to turn her into a blushing, stammering fool didn't mean she had to lose her head.

Though if she was reduced to a pile of mush—as she was very wont to be—she supposed she could always blame it on the wine.

"Oh, well, you know…" She gave him the smile from earlier. "I'm just very… anxious to get to bed."

"Hmm… how anxious?"

Maybe not very anxious to go alone.

When he stepped closer, she backed up through the now open elevator door. She watched helplessly as the door closed behind him. Once again trapped with him in a small space. He was just so tall and mysterious and his _voice_ and she could just _feel _the body heat coming off of him… Oh god, she was doomed.

"Wh-what do you mean?" She reached past him to press her floor number, in a futile attempt to distract him.

"Well, seeing as you seemed to enjoy your dinner so much…"

Why, why, why, why, _why?_ She should've have known this little plan of hers would back fire. What did she expect from teasing a man like she was?

He wasn't close enough for them to be touching, but close enough for her to wish that he were. She could feel her breathing deepen when he spoke again, this time much slower and seductive. "I was wondering if you would be interested in a bit of dessert with me."

She was briefly released from her nervousness as mild confusion took over. "Dessert?"

Her nervousness returned ten fold when he revealed what he was holding. "I…" Whipped cream. She certainly knew what she would want with whipped cream, and the way he was eyeing her was more than enough of an indication that they were sharing the same dirty thought.

"N-no that's all right… I'm full thanks." She hurriedly made an escape as she heard a ding above her head. She brushed past him, desperately trying to ignore how good he smelled, desperately trying not to wonder how good he _felt_. She was already thinking of showing up at his room—after returning downstairs for the chocolate sauce, of course.

His voice sounded as she walked away. "Then I suppose I will have to find some ice cream. What a shame—I doubt that will be nearly as satisfying."

She increased her pace after turning the corner. She so badly wished he hadn't said that.

Just when she thought she had round two in the bag, he had to go snatch it away from her. Just when her plan had been working so well, he had to go ruin it by once again making her painfully aware of how attracted she was to him.

Though she couldn't deny that it was an enticing offer… The idea of being in a hotel room with nothing but Vincent and a can of whipped cream was certainly tempting. No doubt if she'd taken him up on it, the combination of wine and that sneaky little devil on her shoulder would lead her to do something unwise.

…Something she'd probably enjoy very much, but nevertheless unwise.

It took a lot of convincing, but as she took a moment to calm herself, she concluded that saying no was the right decision—maybe not the fun one, but the right one.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. There would be no sleeping tonight. And if she somehow managed, her dreams would be heavily laden with fantasies. Why did one man have to send her libido into overdrive? It really put her in such a difficult position.

But, god help her, she really was enjoying it.

When she arrived at the room she and Aeris were sharing, it took her a moment to remember if she'd brought a key with her. Just as she was patting herself down, feeling for anything key-shaped, the door opened.

"There you are!" Aeris said with unexpected impatience. "It took you long enough."

Tifa was caught rather off guard. "What?" She was grabbed by the hand and pulled inside.

"I've been waiting forever to talk to you."

"Huh?" She took a seat on her bed. "About what?"

Aeris sat opposite her with a grin. "What do you _think_?"

Tifa frowned. How was she supposed to have any idea? It was nearly impossible to tell what Aeris was _really_ thinking, underneath all the cheer. "I don't know…"

"Oh don't give me that!" She replied with playful exasperation. "Don't think I haven't noticed."

"Um…" She suddenly saw where this was going.

"So come on," she urged, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Tell me what's going on with you and Vincent!"

**XXXXXXXXX**

**A.N.: I had a bit of trouble with this one, probably cause actual VinTi interaction was minimal. So all I can say is that I promise it will get better!**

**Now keep those reviews coming. They make me a very happy and productive author. Thanks again.**


	3. Jump Start

**A.N.: I'm back and I'm damn excited! 80 reviews. Man, that's crazily awesome. If this chapter passes 40 reviews I can guarantee you I'll get the next one out faster… If that's any incentive… :is totally not trying to manipulate anyone:**

**But really, they do encourage me to write. I was being lazy with this chapter, but then when I was looking through my reviews I literally said 'Aww, I wanna finish it!'**

**So reviews make me write. Take note of it.**

**And enjoy.**

**Once again, special thanks to lady winde (who I forgot to thank last time) for being my go-to gal on all things VinTi. **

**XXXXXXXXX**

Tifa could find only one way out of what was inevitably an embarrassing situation—lie. "Me and Vincent? I have no idea what you're talking about." That really would have been a much better plan if she were even a halfway decent liar.

Aeris looked nowhere near convinced. "Tifa," she said with stern amusement. "You can't fool me, okay? I've been watching you guys. I saw you at dinner."

Tifa stiffened slightly. If Aeris had seen her, who else had? She was really hoping she was being at least _some_what discreet… All those subtle attempts at seduction were intended for Vincent and Vincent alone. "You did?" she asked with a slightly shaky voice, allowing her discomfiture to slip through.

Aeris smiled faintly. "It was hard to miss," Obviously noting the horrified look on Tifa's face, she quickly continued. "Oh! But I don't think anyone else really noticed. You'd have been able to tell if everyone was staring at you."

She felt slightly relieved. Sure, why not? She was bound to see if everyone's eyes happened to be suddenly fixed on her. Then again, she had been awfully involved with what she'd been doing…

Tifa shifted in her seat and a short silence ensued.

Aeris promptly broke it. "Though I'm not sure how everyone missed what was going on in the buggy…"

Tifa's mind instantly flashed to the very inquisitive raised eyebrow that Aeris had directed at her. It had no doubt been provoked by the blatant attempts at giving him more skin to look at, not to mention his hand on her leg, slowly but persistently nudging its fingers upward…

"The buggy…?" Despite her many failed attempts at feigned ignorance, Tifa kept at it

Aeris grinned smugly. "That one I definitely saw. You were as red as the wine we were drinking tonight."

"Well you saw what he was—!" She truncated her thought, lapsing into silence with a slight scowl at being put on the spot.

"You were red," Aeris repeated.

"I couldn't help it," Tifa admitted, the blush in question slowly creeping up. "He's…"

"He's…?"

Tifa observed Aeris carefully. She took in the playful friendly smile on her face and instantly relaxed. Aeris meant no harm. It would be fun to open up and have a little girl-talk. She certainly could use someone to confide in now that things were getting… _interesting _with Vincent.

She allowed a shy grin to appear on her lips. "He's very… _sexy_." The word felt a bit foreign to use, but it seemed incredibly fitting. There was really no other way to describe him.

"I bet," Aeris said thoughtfully. "And he's just your type isn't he?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You know… tall, dark, handsome…"

Tifa giggled. "Isn't that every girl's type?"

"Well…" Aeris said, trailing off and joining Tifa in laughter. "But you know what I mean," She paused in thought. "He's all… mysterious. You seem like you'd go for that sort of thing."

It was so very true. The fact that he rarely spoke, the way he usually kept his face hidden beneath his collar… it only made her more interested. "I do," she admitted with a slight blush. "But there's more to it than just that."

"Yeah?" she asked with curiosity.

"It's… the effect he has on me," She looked back at Aeris who raised an eyebrow expectantly. Tifa had been hoping that she wouldn't have to go into too many details about just how weak she was for Vincent, but with the vague description she was giving, she realized she couldn't possibly have expected Aeris so extract any meaning from her terminology. She laughed. "His voice really gets me. I think he'd only have to say two words and I'd be putty in his hands. Well," she added as an afterthought with a short laugh, "Hand and claw," She paused as the memory of being locked in that metal grasp played through her mind. "That's another thing, actually."

"What? His claw?"

Tifa fidgeted a little. "Well yeah… It's hard to explain, but I find it really attractive, in a weird sort of way…"

"Hmm," Aeris said, getting up and crossing the room. "I can see that."

"It's like…" Tifa went on lying back on the bed, finding that she had a lot more to say than she'd initially thought. "Every time he's near me, I'm thinking about him for hours afterwards. I mean… after what happened in the elevator…"

"Ooh, what happened in the elevator?" Aeris asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a small carton of ice cream.

Tifa sat up as her eyes widened slightly. "You had ice cream this whole time?"

"Well…" she said, sounding a little guilty. "I bought my favorite for myself because I thought Yuffie had everyone else covered but…" She smirked as she opened a bag of plastic spoons and fished two out. "Well, you saw what happened. There's not enough of this to go around so I thought I'd just… keep it quiet."

Tifa knew what two spoons implied, so she followed Aeris to the small table to indulge in some very chocolaty ice cream. She savored the taste of it for a moment, lapsing into thoughts she was sure to revisit in her dreams, when Aeris spoke up.

"So what happened in the elevator?"

Tifa mulled it over for a while. At the time it had all seemed so dramatic. Time had slowed. Every little thing he did seemed so significant, all the subtleties that affected her increased tenfold in intensity. But really, it was fairly simple in the retelling. "Well, after all you guys went upstairs, it was just me and him. So then I got up to leave and he followed me to the elevator…"

"Uh-huh…?"

Tifa felt her face burn briefly as she considered what she'd be doing if she'd ended up in his room instead of hers. She cleared her throat. "He asked me if I wanted to join him for… dessert."

"But we didn't have any—"

"He had a can of whipped cream." And a look in his eyes that made his intentions crystal clear and made her incredibly tempted to take him up on his offer.

Aeris's mouth formed a perfect O in giddy surprise. "Well that kind of dessert would have been a lot more exciting than sitting around eating ice cream with _me_," she said with a giggle.

"Yeah…" She suddenly remembered her manners. "Not that you aren't good company," she said with a tiny laugh.

But Aeris wasn't really listening. "You should have gone!" she exclaimed, lightly smacking Tifa on the arm.

Yes, her dirty mind was certainly screaming the same thing. "Well it's not… " She stared down at her ice cream as she mashed it into soup. "It's not like I didn't …" she blushed, "_want_ to. I was just… scared, I guess."

"Of him?"

She bit her lip. "Yeah."

"…Is he scary?"

Maybe a little. "Well, no… I'm really not scared of _him _per se… just how I feel about him."

Tifa watched helplessly as the obvious question passed her friend's lips. "And… how do you feel about him?"

She shifted in her seat. "I don't… I don't know. I guess that's the scary part."

"Hmm…" Aeris pushed away her ice cream and looked pensive. "Do you think you have feelings for him or it's just lust?"

Tifa blushed at the idea of having a solely physical interest in someone. "Well I do _like _him," she clarified.

"I know," Aeris said reassuringly. "But maybe you shouldn't complicate it."

"Huh?"

She laughed and leaned forward. "I mean don't feel bad if it's just lust. If it's meant to be something else it will be. But for now, have some fun with it!"

It seemed to Tifa like an appealing suggestion. But something was bothering her. Despite everything that had been happening with Vincent, she couldn't ignore her feelings for Cloud. And listening to Aeris so eagerly trying to push her into another man's arms…

She felt bad for being suspicious, but she really couldn't help it. She forced a small laugh. "It _would_ be fun, but…" She frowned, searching for the right words. "I guess what I'm really looking for is my… one true love," And if that true love was Cloud, she couldn't let him go so easily for feelings that her body wouldn't allow her to ignore. "Or… something like that," And if that true love _wasn't _Cloud… "Someone who has eyes for me and only me," Versus Cloud who played hero to everyone he met. "Someone who makes me feel…" she cringed at the fact that she couldn't find a more substantial term for it, "special."

She stared at Aeris for a moment, letting her words hang in the air. She felt a little vulnerable, exposing the contents of her heart like that.

She noticed that Aeris looked strangely wistful. "You'll have that," she said with a soft smile on her face. "Even I had that."

Tifa tilted her head with interest. She'd never known that Aeris was so seriously involved with someone. And if she was then… where was he? "Really?"

"Yes. Once," she replied, with the same far away look in her eyes. "Once was all I needed."

In an instant any doubts she may have had about Aeris melted away. Finding a new romantic interest was obviously not a priority to her at the moment. Instead, Tifa's reservations were replaced with sympathy at the conclusion that the one Aeris loved was no longer with her.

She let a few moments pass as Aeris recalled what must have been fond memories. "That sounds nice."

"It was," she said, brushing some hair out of her face. "He used to live around here you know… before he left for SOLDIER."

"He was in SOLDIER?"

"First Class."

"Oh, just like Cloud," Tifa said conversationally.

"Yeah…" Another strange look graced her face, this time a bit darker and more disturbed, unlike the bittersweet expression from before. "Just like Cloud…"

Tifa observed her for a while before getting up to throw away the empty ice cream carton. She didn't know what, she didn't know _why_, but Aeris was hiding something. She _knew _something. Tifa wanted to ask what it was, but when she thought about it, she trusted Aeris to only keep something important to herself if she had a very good reason.

Tifa shook her head slightly and sat down on her bed. "So… I guess we should get to sleep then?"

Aeris seemed to snap out of a daze before she smiled vaguely at Tifa. "Yeah, I guess so."

When the lights were out and Tifa had settled under the covers, her mind immediately turned to exactly what she had predicted. What if she really _had _taken him up on his offer? She turned over restlessly at the thought. He had a room all to himself… she could have _him _all to _her_self…

She rolled over and squinted at Aeris in the darkness. Was she asleep? She chewed on her lower lip, inching out from beneath the sheets. She stood and looked back and forth from her roommate to the door. How much noise would she make if she left right now?

Deciding that she didn't care, she opened the door and slowly closed it behind her, creeping out onto the hallway rug with bare feet. Belatedly she realized that she didn't know which room was Vincent's. There had to be _some _way to figure it out.

She paced up and down the hallway a few times, noting the spacing between the doors. If she remembered correctly, the one room with one bed was the smallest. So it would have to be… that one? She supposed she could always claim she'd gotten lost while looking for her room if she were to guess incorrectly.

She raised her fist to the door and hesitated. What on earth was she doing? What was she _really _getting herself into? Well…there was only one way to find out. Never in her life had she been a slave to raging hormones. And now that she was, she wasn't sure she could handle it. She was just glad she'd gone back downstairs for a little more liquid courage. She would always have the wine to blame.

Tifa composed herself and knocked lightly on the door. She waited, but heard nothing. Maybe he was asleep—she would have felt bad about waking him up. Although for some reason, she didn't think he'd mind.

She was considering knocking again when she heard a voice from within—the voice that made her melt into a puddle of infatuated goo. "Come in."

She blushed slightly. He didn't even ask who it was. Just more proof that he knew the effect he had on her and intended to take advantage of it. Throwing one more cautious glance behind her, she opened the door and stepped inside, a bit in wonder at why it was unlocked.

She found him nowhere in sight, and she felt somewhat relieved. That would give her an opportunity to back out, if she so chose, for once he came into close proximity, she would fall willingly into temptation and all hope would be lost. Damn him and the effect he had on her.

Taking a few more paces into the room, she could see into the bathroom. He was standing in front of the sink. Just standing—without his cloak, she realized. And with some of his buttons undone. She enthusiastically took in the sight that was reflected before her. It required a lot of willpower not to stare. She knew if she did he'd catch her immediately. That was the last thing she needed.

Noticing her standing there, he looked up and locked eyes with her through the glass of the mirror. She instantly anticipated what the evening would hold when she saw the devilish smirk on his face. "I've been expecting you."

She blushed, knowing that if he had honestly been expecting her to show up, he probably had time to perfect his plans for the evening while he waited for her. As he turned to walk towards her, she couldn't ignore the predatory look in his eyes. She was the lamb, he was the wolf—one she would eagerly sacrifice herself to. She already began breathing a bit heavier when she found herself trapped in his arms, the full significance of the situation hitting her hard.

His metal claw flexed a bit on her hip as he pulled her flush against him. "Tell me…" he began, looking down at her and leisurely taking in her form and making her suddenly conscious of her lack of dress. "Why are you here?"

She turned a furious shade of red. He was going to make her say it wasn't he? She wouldn't humor him quite so readily. Instead, she pressed herself closer to him, letting her hands travel up to his chest. She stared up at him licking her lips very slowly. She let her susceptibility show through her eyes. He'd already proven quite adept at reading her mind; she just hoped he showed the same skill now that she actually wanted him to.

The smirk widened. "I see."

She found herself pressed up against the door. It was clear that he was going to take what she was offering. He leaned in without hesitating. She gasped softly, leaving her parted lips terribly prone to a very deep kiss.

She was just beginning to relax into him, acknowledging just how much she desired what was happening when he pulled away far, far too soon. She directed an unintentional pout at him for taking away what she wanted.

"You taste like…" He paused, as if trying to read the answer in her eyes. "Chocolate," he said in a mildly suspicious voice.

"Umm, well…" It was probably from the ice cream, but… "I brought something." She pointed next to her at the desk where she'd left the bottle of chocolate sauce she'd collected from downstairs.

He smirked widely when he observed it, before abruptly pulling away from her. She was beginning to get frustrated by the lack of physical contact, fighting a growl as she watched him cross the room. That kiss wasn't nearly enough—not considering what she came here for.

Still, she watched in slight fascination as he opened the fridge. She didn't know why she was surprised when he revealed the can of whipped cream. So he really _had_ been expecting her.

"Vincent," A small amount of her senses suddenly returned to her. "What if… what if someone hears?"

The look in his eyes was positively diabolical. "Let them."

She allowed an anticipatory smile when he returned to her. It dissolved into anxiousness when he removed the cap with a trace of a grin. She let her eyes flutter closed as she felt the cool whipped cream on her neck. In an instant it was replaced by his hot tongue licking it off. Just on her pulse point—the spot that made her weak. _God _how did he _know_?

When he backed away again, she didn't let him get far. She wrapped her hands around his neck, leaning in close enough to imply what she wanted, but leaving enough space that he had to close the distance. Her hands slid down to his half-open shirt. She couldn't help herself—she undid a few more buttons. He tasted sweet and sinful. She ended the kiss and gazed up at him, reveling in the moment.

As much as she was enjoying what they were doing, she wondered why they had not yet made it to the bed. It looked awfully inviting. She grabbed the chocolate syrup and gave him a helpful nudge in the right direction.

And when they were both satisfied and sticky with sugar, he led her to the bathroom for that _very hot _shower he'd tempted her with only hours ago…

"Tifa…"

And when she woke up that morning…

"Teef."

She was sleeping beside him…

"Tifa, you have to wake up."

Or maybe…

She reluctantly opened her eyes and observed the vacant part of her bed.

…She was alone?

"Nice dream?" she heard Aeris ask above her with a grin in her voice.

Tifa stifled a groan, hiding her head under the pillow. It served to hide the blush that surfaced. "How'd you know?"

" 'Ohh… Oh Vincent… Ooh…' " she mocked.

Tifa sat up in indignant shock. "…I wasn't," she muttered, half in question, half in protest.

Aeris just strolled away from the bed with an innocent shrug. Tifa resumed hiding under the blankets.

"Cloud called," Aeris said. "We've gotta head out now."

Tifa mumbled gibberish and shrank further into the sheets.

Aeris sighed in exasperation and snatched the pillow away from her. "I don't wanna go either. But you know how Cloud is…"

Tifa looked up at her with the eye not hidden by the bedcovering. Her frown unmistakably conveyed that she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and return to her dreams.

Aeris watched her for a moment. "…So you're gonna get him back, right?"

"Huh?"

She laughed and rose to her feet, throwing the pillow at Tifa. "Face it Teef, he's getting to you."

She couldn't deny it, but what was she supposed to do about it? "Yeah, but…"

"So you've got to get to him too!"

Well she was _trying_ to! "How?"

"Hmm," Aeris said, pacing around and trying to put her bed in some kind of order. "I don't know _exactly_ yet. But I've got something in mind. But first, we need to go _shopping_," she said with a somewhat devious inflection.

"…Shopping?"

"Come on. Don't keep everyone waiting."

Aeris left, letting the door swing shut, and the room fell silent.

Tifa could only wonder what sort of plan Aeris had in mind that required shopping. But, she mused, looking at her disappointingly empty bed, if it yielded results that were anything like her dream, then she was all for it.

XXXXXXXXX 

**A.N.: So did I fool anyone? …Again? XD I've pulled that one before. But yeah, this chapter was going to be entirely non-VinTi filler before I decided that I should do a fantasy sequence—and that it would fit perfectly in this chapter. So you guys are lucky!**

**I promise the VinTi-ness will pick up from here. Promise!**

**And if you leave lots of reviews, you will get to read it sooner.**

**So… think about that XD**


	4. Hit and Run

**A.N.: I'm back with a freaking vengeance! Just wanted to get this one out before I left for Boston. We didn't _quite _make it to 40 reviews, but hell, I barely gave you a week, and you got DAMN close. So you guys rock. Keep on reviewing. And please please please, individual chapters if you would. A lot of work goes into each and every one.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy and keep those reviews a comin! XD You prompted yet another 'hot damn!' from me this last time. Go on and do it again! And of course, much thanks again to the lovely and fabulously talented lady winde.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

"Aeris…" Tifa muttered, tugging at the skinny elastic straps that were clinging to her shoulders, "I don't know about this…"

After the group had set out for the morning to look for whatever clues Cloud had expected them to find in such a remote location, Aeris had promptly dragged Tifa off and into a nearby boutique. Glancing again at herself in the dressing room mirror, it really surprised Tifa that a town like Gongaga sold stuff like… _this_.

"Don't be so modest," Aeris insisted. "Not everyone can pull off something like that."

Tifa had to admit that it looked quite good on her, if good was the word for it. But she still felt a little unsure. "You don't think it's… too sexy?" she asked with a slight grimace.

"Too sexy? Please," she said, waving a dismissing hand. "You can't be too sexy for this. You wanna _win _don't you?"

"Win?"

"Well," Aeris paused and frowned vaguely, with the most uncertainty Tifa had seen from her all day. "This whole thing with you and Vincent… it's kinda like a game, isn't it?"

Tifa nearly grinned. So she wasn't alone in thinking that this little situation of teasing was a matter of win or lose. "Sure. That's what I see it as," And she did want to win—badly. She was going to make Vincent pay for clouding her judgment with the lust he inflicted upon her. Oh, he wasn't going to know what hit him.

"Then knock him dead!" Aeris said with a playful poke in her side.

Tifa fidgeted. "I'm not entirely sure I can do that." In her experience, being within close proximity of him suddenly vanquished all hopes she may have had for victory. How was she supposed to compete with that? As far as she knew, she didn't have nearly the same effect on him…

"Why not? You've got an advantage—use it!"

Tifa knit her eyebrows in confusion and mild surprise. "Advantage? _Me?_"

"Well _yeah_."

Tifa didn't see how she could possibly have an edge over someone she'd come to regard as somewhat of a sexy god. "_What_?" she asked in disbelief.

Aeris laughed as if the answer were exceedingly obvious. "Boobs!"

Tifa looked down and blushed.

OoOoOoOoO

Dinner was quiet. Tifa assumed it was mostly because the group's search of the town had proven fruitless. Cloud was certainly very apologetic about it at least.

He stood and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Guys… I'm really sorry I dragged you out here and we didn't find anything."

Murmurs of 'That's okay,' 'Whatever,' 'Forget about,' sounded around the table. Aeris said nothing, but cleared her throat and sat upright, waiting for the silence to resume. "Cloud…" she said carefully, "Are you _sure _you didn't find anything?"

He frowned and sat back down. "I'm sure…"

"Are you _sure_?" she persisted. "There wasn't anything—any_one _who may have been important?"

"Nothing," he said distractedly.

Seeing her effort was useless—what ever it may have been—Aeris slumped back into her chair and began picking at her food.

Apparently, Tifa wasn't the only one watching them. She suddenly became locked in the same red gaze she'd found herself in during her dreams. She mentally berated herself for turning away from it so quickly. This was no time to be losing her nerve…

OoOoOoOoO

She found herself face to face with a startlingly familiar wooden door, but this time, she wasn't alone.

"Okay," Aeris said beside her. "You ready?"

"Umm…" She didn't _feel_ ready. She still thought her attire was too revealing, despite the fact that Aeris insisted that that was the point. The silky robe she'd bought to go with it was too short to be of any major help. She looked down at herself, adjusting what she could of her clothing.

"Don't worry, it's perfect."

"I don't know, it's—"

"—It's _perfect_," Aeris insisted. "So are you ready or not?"

"I think so," After all they'd gone through to make it this far, she certainly wasn't going to back out _now_. She was determined to make him squirm. It couldn't be _that_ hard. "But umm… what exactly am I doing?"

"I don't know," Aeris said with surprising seriousness. "You'll just have to wing it."

Two days ago she would have balked at the idea, but Aeris had certainly helped with her boldness. If she had to improvise, she was going to do it.

"Good luck," Aeris said, giving her a little shove towards the door. "I wanna hear all about it. I should still be awake when you come back…" A gleam appeared in her eyes. "_If _you come back."

Tifa hesitated. She knew her friend was only joking, but if something like that _were _to happen, that would mean she'd lost. Then again, something told her that losing would never feel so good. She saw Aeris's arm reach past her to knock on the door. This was it…

"Oh, and um…" Aeris started creeping back to their room. "I um… maaaay have _accidentally _implied that you had a dream about him."

"You _what_!"

"G'night!" Aeris hastily disappeared behind the door, leaving a helpless Tifa in the hallway.

The door in front of her opened immediately afterwards. The surprise and sudden envelopment in his presence diminished her voice to a whisper. "Hi," she said breathlessly.

The absence of his cloak allowed her to see the slight smirk that he wore, but she noted with disappointment that his shirt still had all the buttons done. "Come in," he offered, stepping out of the way to let her walk past.

An overwhelming sense of déjà vu hit her when she looked around. She was amazed at how accurate her subconscious was—his room was almost exactly like she dreamt it. His presence behind her alerted her to focus on what was happening.

She could only wonder once again why he unquestioningly let her in. At least it gave her time to develop some reason for her being in his room. If she waited too long, he would be forced to make assumptions. Though it wouldn't be the end of the world if this encounter ended like her dream…

"Umm…" She coughed slightly in order to buy herself time. "I was just wondering if I could hang out here for a while."

An eyebrow was raised in response.

"The air conditioning went out in my room, and…" She added a tone of flustered vulnerability. "It's just so _hot_…"

He leaned against the door, watching her with quite a bit of intensity. "I understand. You're welcome to stay. Have a seat."

She dutifully obeyed, settling herself in the desk chair. He made no attempts to move, just continued watching her.

She fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing her legs, noticing a slight twitch in his countenance when she did so. The silence was growing, and she remembered that she was there for a reason.

She fanned herself with her hand, tugging at the neckline of her robe. "I don't get it. It didn't seem that hot when we were out today."

"Hmm. I suppose it is poor ventilation."

"Maybe…" She fussed with her robe more, finding that she actually _was _becoming a bit warm. At least her story would explain the blush that graced her features.

"Though I would assume that robe isn't helping."

Tifa fought a grin as he took the bait she'd unknowingly offered. "It's not," she pouted. "Would you mind if I—?"

"Not at all," he said with unexpected swiftness.

She smiled, a bit of mischief showing through as she rose. "Thank you." She undid the knot at an intentionally slow pace. She opened the robe and slipped it off her shoulders, letting the fabric fall away from her body and into her hands.

She gave him a few moments to take in her appearance. His eyes took their time wandering up and down her form.

It wasn't underwear, she told herself, it was sleepwear. She'd sleep in this sort of thing… definitely. Maybe not with _company_—or maybe only with very _particular _company…

The top dipped low enough to expose quite a bit of cleavage, and rose high enough to reveal even more midriff than her standard attire normally displayed. The shorts were probably too short to even be called such, and from the back… well, she'd let him find that out for himself.

The lace and cut were rather racy to begin with, but it was the color—red—that Tifa found rather brazen.

Tifa sauntered over to where he was standing so she could place the garment on the hook in the wall. She intentionally stood close to him, before another idea struck her. "Oh," she said, putting her hand on his arm with a smile, "I don't suppose you have any ice?"

"I believe I do," he said, gesturing to the mini fridge next to the desk.

She maintained the same slightly naughty grin, walking with a deliberate sway in her hips. Knowing that he was watching her, she bent over to open the door. She could _feel _his eyes on her, and a brief glimpse through the corner of her eyes revealed that he was staring rather intently. She was giddy with the knowledge that she was catching him doing so when he was _actually _trying to be discreet for once. Though she couldn't entirely blame him—she sure was giving him quite a show.

Barely paying mind to what she was doing, she felt for an ice cube and pulled it out of the bucket. Sighing softly, she lowered the ice to her neck, promptly causing goose bumps to break out all over her skin and a shudder to travel through her spine. The ice melted on contact, sending little rivulets down her body that bid his eyes to follow. She dared to move the ice lower, skirting her neckline.

Tifa though maybe she should break the silence, but quickly decided that giggling saying 'Ooh, I'm getting all wet!' would be a bit much. At any rate, any comment she made would only serve to distract him… maybe.

She was pleased that he was applying very rapt attention to what she was doing, but she was slightly disappointed that she couldn't get more of a reaction out of him. When the ice cube melted away into nothingness, she returned to the fridge for another.

It was then that she noticed it. How could she possibly have missed it before?

She held out the metal can and shook it lightly. "Could I have some?" She observed a brief flash in his eyes as he too recollected his offer in the elevator.

He nodded slowly.

She grinned, taking her time in removing the cap and applying a small dollop to her finger. "It's a shame we didn't have this last night…" She trailed off, successfully prompting him to tear his eyes away from other parts of her anatomy and watch what she was doing.

He finally relinquished his perch near the door, walking over to stand within a few inches of her. "And why's that?"

Her heart started pounding at the sudden seductive tone in his voice. She realized she wasn't clear about who 'we' was supposed to describe. In an effort to regain the upper hand, she took advantage of the intense eye contact they were locked in. Lowering her lips and tongue to her finger, she very carefully removed the whipped cream from her fingertip, all the while retaining the smoldering gaze.

When she was almost entirely certain that she'd heard a deep, barely audible growl from him, she continued with what she'd been saying. "Aeris and I had some ice cream. This would have gone great with it."

"Hmm," He looked suddenly pensive, and she knit her eyebrows in confusion. "I suppose the ice cream would explain it then."

"Mm?" she hummed, innocently eating more whipped cream in an unnecessarily seductive way.

"Junk food before bed can cause strange dreams. I heard that you had an…" he paused with a smirk, "_interesting_ one yourself."

She barely managed to stifle a tiny squeak of surprise as the whipped cream can fell to the carpeted floor with a thud. She instantly flushed with minor indignity, screwing up her face with determination not to lose her nerve. But as she stared into his penetrating red eyes and saw the sick pleasure at being the object of her fantasies, she averted her gaze and bent to retrieve the can.

"So… what was your dream like?" he asked smugly.

She straightened up on her knees to look him in the eyes. "Something like this," she mumbled.

And then as his eyes almost imperceptibly widened, she noticed the very, very _bad _implication of her position in front of him. She was face to face with his belt, and she eyed it for a moment before making a hasty decision. She slowly slid her hand up the side of his leg to his pants line, gripping his belt. She gave him a moment to think about it, delighting in the way his face had definitely opened up in disbelief and anticipation, before using the leather for leverage as she pulled herself to her feet.

"You know," she said casually, not quite letting go of his belt and not quite backing away from where she'd ended up against him. "I came into your room," she explained, trying to make him think that any sexual notions he may have suspected of her and her dream were entirely false. She chuckled huskily, stepping away from him and seating herself on the bed.

He pursed his lips, looking at her over his shoulder. "Was that all?"

She shrugged with an innocent grin, indulging in more whipped cream. He looked like he was resisting the urge to pin her to the bed and have his wicked, wicked way with her. She was resisting her _own_ impulse to tell him that if he wanted to give into that sinful whim… then she wouldn't mind.

When she saw him make a move to sit next to her on the bed, she scooted closer to him.

Tifa giggled. "I can't stop eating this stuff."

"You don't think it would be better… _with _something?"

"Hmm, no," she said, turning the can upside-down for another taste. "It's surprisingly satisfying all on its own," The blob that she was raising to her mouth unexpectedly fell off, landing in the ideal target that her top provided as she let out a soft gasp of surprise.

They both stared fixedly at the dollop of cream between her breasts. Tifa wondered what she was supposed to do. Abandoning any thoughts of asking him for a tissue, she retrieved it with the finger it fell from, bringing it to her lips once again.

Vincent licked his lips, no doubt entertaining the notion of doing the job himself. She decided to torture him further. She lowered her hand once again, lightly grazing her fingertips over the skin. "Did I miss any…?"

He let out a sigh that sounded like a frustrated groan. "Looks fine to me."

Satisfied, she stretched out on the bed in a needlessly sexy way, legs delicately bent at the knees and crossed at the ankles, one hand draped lightly near her collar bone, just barely avoiding anywhere considered indecent, while the other gripped the whipped cream.

To her amazement, he lay down next to her, close enough that she could feel his breathing and the heat radiating off of him. Feeling that her position might be compromised by that damnable weakness she had for him once he came within a few feet of her, she opted to not try anything for the moment.

The pair stared at the ceiling, the silence occasionally punctuated by a hiss as air pressure was released from the whipped cream can. Tifa really hadn't been kidding—she couldn't get enough of it now.

She toyed with her finger as she licked the cream off, this time more in distracted thought than in any intentional seductive way. She let out a shocked yelp when his gold claw shot past her and seized the can.

"Hey!" She instantly shot after it, only to find that he kept it infuriatingly out of reach. In her efforts to get her sugar fix back from him, her top half ended up on top of his, pressed embarrassingly close. She flushed—he must've been getting one hell of a view. She made one more futile grab, and she was rewarded with a very smug look.

In a dead-on imitation of what she'd been doing, he used his claw to get his own taste of whipped cream. She watched him with a slight scowl at the near-perfect dot he'd applied to his finger. Briefly, she wondered if his talons would puncture the metal can.

But as she saw him lower his hand to his lips, she put wrapped her own fingers around his wrist and stopped him. She was _going_ to get her victory tonight, and she was going to get her whipped cream too.

With a smirk rivaling his, she threw caution to the wind and flicked her tongue out, taking a bit of the cream into her mouth. She observed him watching her with a mix of fascination and exhilaration. His eyes darkened dangerously as she took wrapped her lips around his finger, a low rumbling sigh reverberating through him. She implemented her teeth, letting their gazes lock, taking her time in removing all traces from his fingertip.

Tifa smiled as she released his hand and took in every detail of his appearance. She had been disappointed before when she hadn't gotten much of a reaction out of him, but it was clear she'd been wrong. Vincent wasn't the type to fidget and blush the way she did. The fact that he'd barely said a word since she'd arrived, simply unabashedly ogling her and grumbling at her torment—that was about as close as to losing his cool as he was ever going to get. But once he _lost_ his cool…

She grinned when she saw that look in his eyes again. He was going to pounce on her in three…

Two…

O—

"Well," she said casually, swinging her legs over and placing her feet on the floor. "Thank you for your hospitality," She strolled to the door, turning around and fighting a laugh as he sat up, looking at her with a stare so intense she assumed he was either willing her to burst into her flames, or trying to make her clothes come off. "I think I'll go to bed now. Good night."

As she closed the door behind her, she heard an unmistakable growled utterance of 'Tease,' travel through the wood.

She openly giggled—that was a victory if she'd _ever _had one. Aeris would love to hear about this.

OoOoOoOoO

Even in such a short stay, Tifa had certainly made a lot of memories in Gongaga. In an odd way, she was going to miss it.

After meeting in the inn's extra room for breakfast, they all prepared to head back out to the buggy and once again start trekking after Sephiroth. But just as everyone rose from their seats, a voice stopped her from exiting the room.

"Tifa," Every pair of eyes followed hers to the speaker. "I believe you left this in my room," Vincent held out a very scandalous looking silk garment, and her face instantly matched its passionate color.

She looked up at Cloud, finding a confused look in his eyes. It was only a robe, but the implications of it being in Vincent's room would be heavy no matter how she chose to explain it. "I…" Oh _god_ what would he _think_?

"Cloud!" Aeris said suddenly, grabbing his arm. "How long do you think it will take until we catch up to Sephiroth?" She led him out of the room, tossing a glance at Tifa and prompting everyone else to follow her lead.

When Tifa and Vincent were alone, she turned to him with determination in her eyes. He was _not _going to take this win out from under her and he was _not _going to make Cloud think badly of her. Thank the heavens Aeris had distracted him at the last moment.

"Thank you," she breathed, wasting no time in stepping into close proximity as she slipped the fabric from his fingers.

"You are quite welcome. But of course, I would have been much more appreciative if you had left what you were wearing under_neath_ this."

That devilish look in his eyes drew her in, and knowing she couldn't fight it, she played along. "Well…" she said, wandering off to follow the others. "You'd have to get me out of it first."

She stood outside the buggy and stared again at the lone empty seat. It was going to be another one of those days.

**XXXXXXXXX**

A.N.: Whoot! Yeah that's actually all I have to say. Click that little button down there please. You will have Stina's eternal love—which is just as good as it sounds.


	5. Pedal to the Metal

A.N.: You guys are lucky my trip to Boston came when it did—I get my best ideas during car trips. …because while I have this whole fic planned out, when a lot of you were wondering how Vincent would get her back… I realized I had nothing planned XD But I worked it out just for you guys.

**I once again could only exclaim 'hot damn!' when I checked my inbox. Don't think you guys are off the hook! More reviews WILL make me write faster! Especially now that school's out.**

**This chapter is dedicated to lady winde. You deserve it, love. Hope you enjoy.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

Trapped once again in a cramped car, locked in the arms of the man who so often occupied her fantasies, she felt utterly, hopelessly doomed.

"Tifa, you are… _fidgeting _again."

She pouted a bit and tried to sit still, but her mind was still going a mile a minute. After what she had done the night before, she was altogether more enthusiastic and more apprehensive about being close to him. On one hand, it would be a perfect opportunity to follow up on her latest indiscretion and win their little game for good. But on the other hand, there was no way he was going to let her get away with teasing him like that. If he decided to take advantage of this most convenient position and exact his revenge…

No doubt about it—she was definitely doomed.

Tifa had to stop herself from wondering too long about what they could even manage to get away with in front of everyone else. She let out the breath she noticed she'd been holding, allowing her eyes to once again drop to the hand on her leg. If she didn't know any better, she would have said it was even higher up her thigh than it had been last time.

As if reading her thoughts, his fingers moved fractionally and she shivered. "Your hand's cold," she mumbled. She felt multiple pairs of eyes on her, and she suddenly understood that she'd spoken louder than she intended.

Luckily, no one except for Aeris could really see his hand, but the party still stared with questioning eyes. She stared back at them, having no explanation and opting not to even try to clarify until someone asked the inevitable 'what?'

But it never came, and slowly the gazes returned to whatever they had been preoccupied by before. She exhaled a sigh of relief, comfortably leaning back into Vincent. In an instant she noticed his breath on her ear.

"I meant to tell you…" His voice was low and unnecessarily husky—she knew he did not want to be heard by anyone else.

"Tell me what?" she breathed, trying to keep her voice as soft as his, if not softer. She didn't have the benefit of being able to speak directly into his ear.

"That I…"

His pause was no doubt a deliberate attempt to make her squirm in anticipation. She waited for him to continue with a distinct degree of impatience.

"I had a dream about _you _as well."

She stiffened. The tone in his voice implied a comparison to his dream and the one she'd been guilty of. And if that was the case, his dream was anything but innocent.

A moment later she was in disbelief at the fact that, "What happened?" had thoughtlessly flown from her lips.

"Hmm, you would really like to know?"

She let her silence indicate her wholehearted approval, briefly looking around to see if anyone was listening and finding immense relief in the fact that no one was—the windows opened in the front were most fortunately preventing a lot of sound from traveling.

"I see," He leaned almost imperceptibly closer, claw tighter on her waist. "But the question is, do you want an explanation, or a… _demonstration_?"

What a choice. The thought of that voice—the one that drove her absolutely _crazy_—retelling every naughty detail was certainly tempting. But the prospect of a reenactment… well, her reasons for wanting that choice were obvious. Again, she slipped up by hastily speaking. "Why does it have to be only one?"

She was rewarded with a dark chuckle. "The latter would be highly inappropriate in public, but your eagerness is… _very _much appreciated."

She fidgeted at the now irrefutable proof that his dream had been far from pure, blushing in the realization of just how eager she really was.

A few beats passed before he spoke again. "It picked up where we left off last night."

Already her mind was racing to all the scenarios she had pondered had she stayed. "Y-yeah?"

"Yes. You came to regret being such an insufferable, merciless tease."

She almost grinned—the mention of being a tease made her certain she had really gotten to him after all. "How did that happen?"

"I made you see just how… _frustrating _it is when you want something so badly and someone withholds it from you," His hand moved up and down her thigh only once—just enough to remind her that it was there. "And of course, how _incredibly gratifying_ it can be when you get it."

The way his voice dropped nearly an octave as he whispered, breath noticeable on her ear, had her breaking out in goose bumps. She felt her skin heat up, and she waited before she spoke to prevent her voice from shaking. "And… how did you do that?"

The pair watched through the window as the passing landscape was rapidly slowing, and the inn of their destination became visible in the distance. He let out a low hum. "That is the part that requires _demonstration._"

Tifa squirmed helplessly as the vehicle rolled to a stop.

OoOoOoOoO

She had no idea where in the world they were, but the inn looked rather upscale compared to the one in Gongaga. Excitedly taking in the fancy furniture and sparkling chandeliers in the lobby, she could only begin to wonder what the rooms looked like.

But when she approached the front desk to join Cloud, there seemed to be a problem.

"There's nothing available?" he asked with a bit of desperation in his voice.

"I'm sorry sir, but all our rooms except the suite are booked."

"Well… how big is the suite?"

The woman behind the counter frowned at him. "Not big enough for a party of your size, I'm afraid."

Cloud shook his head dejectedly. "Thanks anyway…"

Tifa's face fell in her own disappointment. They probably couldn't afford to stay there anyway…

Cloud scratched the back of his head with embarrassment and addressed the group. "Well guys… I guess we're camping out tonight."

"If I could suggest something," Nanaki said, swishing his tail. "Cosmo Canyon is not far from here. If you are all willing to make the trip we are always welcome to stay there."

Cloud considered it. "Would that be okay with everyone?" Non-committal grunts were his answer. He turned to Tifa expectantly.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "That sounds like it would be fine Cloud."

He nodded. "All right. Let's get moving then."

Tifa watched everyone leave, lamenting the fact that she wouldn't get to stay in such a nice place, until she felt a familiar presence behind her.

She remained perfectly still as he stepped close enough to press against her, hands wandering to her hips to keep her near. "A suite may not be enough for nine," he said, "But it is certainly enough for two."

She tried to stay casual, as if she hadn't been thinking the very same thing. "And what could two people do all alone in a hotel room together?"

"If you and I are the two people… I could think of many things."

God help her, she was indulging him just a little too much. "Like what?"

"I could… _show _you the rest of my dream. I can assure you, reliving it would be enjoyable for _both _of us."

She leaned into him slightly, taking his offer a bit more seriously than she should have. She knew he was only doing it to toy with her, but there was no doubt in her mind that if she gave into her whims and dragged him upstairs, he'd follow through with what he was saying. And the prospect of _that _was all too enticing to ignore. If her brain could manage to come up with a semi-decent fantasy, she could only _imagine_ what a mind like _his _could fabricate— and subsequently reenact within the confines of a romantic hotel room.

Her mind plunged into not-so-secret desires so deeply that she failed to even respond to him. She rattled her brain for a clever comeback, but all she could do was wonder why he wasn't booking the damn room already.

She twisted around in his grasp, but he did nothing to relinquish his hold. Instead, she found herself pressed tightly against him, staring up into his eyes, and trying to think of anything but how starkly it reminded her of her dream and how the real thing was just _so _much more intoxicating. "…Let's go," His eyebrow shot up and she realized the blunder in her words. "We should go," she corrected. "Everyone's probably waiting."

She backed out of his grasp, though he seemed reluctant to let her go. "If you insist."

But just when she thought she had finally escaped temptation, his hand had found its way around her waist, seeming to guide her as she walked to the door. She wanted to smile—it was the first gesture he'd made since their whole little 'game' began that seemed to hold more than teasing or lust.

She nearly jumped a foot in the air as she was ambushed by a small figure when she stepped outside.

"Finally!" Yuffie shouted in dramatic exasperation.

"Huh?" was all that Tifa could manage.

"I've been waiting!" she said sternly. "I have a very important question to ask you two."

Tifa looked at Vincent, who shrugged slightly, and then back to Yuffie. "Um, all right. What is it?"

She paused, letting her eyes pass over the two of them a few times. She pointed at them with a suspicious look. "Are you guys doin it?"

Tifa's eyes nearly bugged out at the audacity of the question, but she noticed a smirk on Vincent's face. "What! We—I—_No_… we're not."

She suppressed a shudder when Vincent leaned to whisper in her ear once again. "That can change very quickly."

Yuffie seemed not to hear what he said, but she was prompted to give them a very unconvinced look. "Hmm…" she said, twisting up her face in skepticism and tapping her foot. "Fine. But you will be soon," she said with a mischievous grin, turning on her heel and sprinting off towards the buggy.

"Hmm. The girl is smarter than she appears," Vincent assessed.

But Tifa had taken the opportunity to step out of Vincent's grasp and follow Yuffie, burning with embarrassment. She'd nearly been caught red handed, hanging back from the group and being found alone with Vincent. But at least the addition of Yuffie's absence from the group would provide what she hoped was a most convenient cover.

OoOoOoOoO

Gathered around the fire, Tifa stretched her legs and relaxed, only vaguely aware of Cloud speaking. When she noticed a certain gunslinger staring at her, she quickly blushed and diverted her gaze to their so-called leader.

"Guys… I know we're all tired and… it's my fault."

"Cloud…" Tifa said gently. She hated when he got so guilt-ridden.

He shook his head with a sad smile. "It's okay. It's my fault. But I promise to make it up to you," His eyes traveled from Tifa's to those of everyone in the party. "If it's okay with everyone, we could stay here for a while and rest up before we move on."

"Well it sounds good to _me_," Yuffie stated, getting up and marching away from the circle. "I could use a room to myself for once."

Tifa smiled at the girl's bluntness as she watched everyone follow Yuffie's lead and retire to their rooms. In all honesty, the thought of a room all her own was sounding pretty nice to her too. Then again, the thought of Vincent merely feet away in a room of all _his _own made her wonder if she would make it through the stay.

OoOoOoOoO

Searching her pockets, she uttered a rare curse. She stared at her hotel room door and lamented the loss of her key. It happened nearly every damn time.

She couldn't help but sigh at her absentmindedness when she realized no one was at the front desk to help her. She just _had _to go out to get something to eat…

She fidgeted outside Vincent's room after she knocked. This was probably a very, _very _bad idea. Although, she reasoned, he had in all likelihood had already had his fun, and the fact that she had been _so _close to being willingly whisked away to an inviting bed in a fancy suite was enough for her to unreservedly award him the victory this time.

She felt suddenly awkward as she waited. The last time she'd been in this situation, it had been at the provocation of Aeris. This time, she was here of her own volition. She wasn't _entirely _sure what that meant, but—

She was jarred from her thoughts when the door opened abruptly. She noted with embarrassment and enthusiasm that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and for a moment she forgot to speak. It didn't help her blush when she was promptly caught staring and a smirk formed on his face. Well how was _she _supposed to know that he was going to answer the door half-dressed?

"I, um…" She swiftly stopped her eyes from traveling down his torso and brought them back to his gaze, despite the fact that his stare had proven on many occasions to be equally alluring. She took a deep breath to compose herself before continuing, but it didn't help once her eyes resumed their previous wandering. "I uh… got locked out of my room," She laughed weakly. "_Again_… And I um… well, I went to the front desk and uh…" God he really _did _have the body she pictured in her dream—only this was real and inches away from her. She was in _big _trouble. "But… no one was there, and—"

He looked pleased with her nervousness. "And you'd like to know if you could stay here for a while?"

"Umm…" She bit her lip and looked up at him. Had he _always _been so tall? "Yeah… if that's okay."

He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her inside. "Of course."

She looked around as he closed the door and decided to take a seat on the only place available—the bed. "I left a note at the front desk to come find me here when they can let me in my room," she explained, finding she had nothing to say, too tongue-tied from being blindsided by his lack of clothing.

"Ah yes, about that…"

"Hmm?" She couldn't help but wish he'd join her on the bed.

"If I may ask… why did you come to _me_, of all people?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It would seem that you had many more viable options in such a situation. Perhaps Aeris, or Barret…" He paused with a slight glint in his eye. "Or Cloud."

Tifa had no real answer. Why had she not chosen her best friend? Or the man who had been like a father to her? Or even… the one she was _supposed_ to be in love with? A number of excuses came to mind: 'I only knew which room was yours,' 'I figured you'd be the only one awake,' but she was too baffled by the fact that none of the people he'd mentioned had even crossed her mind for an instant. She remained silent, dropping her gaze to the floor as a bright red flush crept up.

All of a sudden she remembered the game. She was letting him win without a fight, and she'd gone too far to let that be the case _now_…

She crossed the room and opened the door, making a brief excuse about checking for someone who would help her with her lost key situation. She gasped when the claw shot past her to close the door, and she found herself trapped between the wood and Vincent. She wondered if he knew that, so soon after offering to reenact his dream, he was unknowingly reenacting hers.

The talons slowly scraped down the door, stopping near her hip, and she shuddered. Bold in her sudden determination to steal another victory, she traced her fingers down his arm to the metal appendage, letting them lightly graze the surface. "Could I?" she asked, taking a firmer grip on his arm and hoping he understood her meaning.

He nodded once, and she raised it to a level where she could better see it. She held it close to her chest, in a very deliberate yet unnecessary way. He seemed to react when she let her fingers pass over his. "What can you feel with it?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

The metal digits flexed in a very pointed way and she broke out in goose bumps when he spoke low with a smoldering stare. "Anything I want."

She turned a furious shade of red at his implication and relinquished his hand. As she turned away and stepped a few feet away to collect her thoughts, she found that they were hopelessly lost in the gutter. In the same instant she was questioning if a metal claw would hinder anything she may want to be a part of with him, she was deciding that if it did, he probably made up for it by being _exceptionally skilled_ with the other hand. That train of thought also led her back to her inquisitiveness from the first time she had found that claw wrapped around her waist.

When he came up behind her, removing the distance between them, and again pressed himself close, she decided to voice her inquiry. "Do you… do you ever accidentally cut yourself?"

She was utterly surprised when gold digits traced their way up her arm. "I have a lot of control over it."

To prove the validity of his words, his hand crept higher, and pointed fingers skimmed across the skin of her neck. They traveled back across her collarbone, taking a dangerous path down her side that made her shudder, and ending in a highly inappropriate spot on her thigh. He was painstakingly slow in his movements, and by the time he was finished, her breathing was audible and her heart was pounding violently in her chest.

She licked her lips and swallowed hard before daring to ask her second question. "And could you… cut clothes?"

She couldn't see his smirk, but she realized she could feel it against her cheek. His hand trailed back up her thigh. One talon tensed as it reached the hem of her skirt, and a faint tearing sound filled the silence as he created an indecent slit in her outfit.

He continued back up to her neckline, where she waited with bated breath for what he was going to do. His hand tensed another time, and tore her clothes again in a diagonal path from her collarbone to the center of her chest. She couldn't deny being slightly disappointed when instead of continuing where it was going, it stopped and journeyed back up on the other side. Her eyes glazed over as she watched the fabric flutter to the floor and felt the cool air on her suddenly hot skin.

She turned around and gaped at him. Even though she was in complete incredulity that that had really just happened, she was also tempted to ask why he had stopped. She couldn't decide if she wanted to slap him or push him onto the bed.

It seemed like she wouldn't have much of a choice when she was abruptly pulled into him. The sensation of skin against skin made her dizzy. Temptation was clouding her judgment and she felt that even in their semi-clothed condition they were wearing far, _far_ too much…

She jumped when a knock sounded at the door. She couldn't imagine worse timing.

Vincent let out what she took for a frustrated groan. "I believe it is for you."

She reluctantly stepped away from him turned the knob, revealing a man holding a key on the other side.

"Good evening miss. A staff member found your key," he said, handing it to her.

She smiled at him. "Oh thank you!"

"You're welcome…" It was then that she became aware of the way he was looking at her—no doubt because of the result of what Vincent had done to her clothes.

Vincent seemed to notice at nearly the same moment, and he subtly glared at the man. "Yes, _thank you_," he said, reaching past her to grab the man by the shoulder and none-too-gently sending him on his way.

Tifa felt a strange pleasure in the fact that Vincent had acted almost… protective of her. But she knew better than to indulge that thought, and she smiled a bit nervously at him. "Well… I guess I'll be going back to my room now. Good night Vincent, and thanks for everything." She needed to get out of there before she did something _really _stupid.

"You are quite welcome," he said after her, just as the door was closing.

As she stood in the hallway, she was having a difficult time convincing herself that leaving had been the right decision. She sighed, knowing that that could only mean one thing—yet another miserable loss in this little game of theirs.

Not only that, she thought, looking down at her outfit in mild despair, but she had scantily altered clothing to show for it.

She scowled in resentment. He couldn't just ruin her clothes and get away with it because he was so damn attractive. Oh no. She would want full reimbursement for the damage he caused.

Of course, he could always make it up to her by treating her to a night in a fancy hotel… preferably a suite.

XXXXXXXXX 

A.N.: That button is down there waiting for you. Don't leave it hanging.


	6. Overheating

**A.N.: Whoo! Okay, so here it is. Yes, yes, you once again wrenched a spontaneous 'hot damn' from my throat. XD Good job.**

**It may be a little hard to follow when you read, as in the time and context. Just try to go with the flow and pay attention to when you see an ellipsis at the end of a paragraph. That should help in the understanding. But basically, just go with the flow.**

**So yeah, this chapter is a little different. And by different I mean it's nearly devoid of dialogue. And I am the dialogue QUEEN. So yeah, this one took a lot of work.**

**Which MEANS that reviews are that much more important. I'm serious XD You don't know how anal I am about the number of reviews I get now. I like to see that little '40' before I finish the next chapter and post.**

**Anyway, I wanted to get this out as I am leaving for Myrtle Beach tomorrow. And that means an 11 hour car trip! And hopefully a lot of ideas a long with it—not to mention a nice batch of reviews when I get there:puppy dog eyes:**

**But I'll shut up and let you read. Though really, I need the encouragement. This chapter is kind of out of my idiom.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

She felt like laughing. What was supposed to be a period of 'rest and relaxation' had been one of the most eventful weeks of her life. Though when she thought about it, the evening they'd arrived should have been a tip-off. She wouldn't have believed it possible that her clothes could end up on his floor as something other than a result of unbridled passion. But yet again, she was reminded that he had an uncanny ability to take any preconceived notion she had about him and blow it completely out of the water. It was merely a piece of her garment, cut away with a deft move of his metallic claw, but the connotation was the same. She had gasped in her surprise and waited with faint anticipation for him to continue. She had felt both relieved and disappointed when she returned to her room with nothing but a torn shirt to show for even being in such a situation at all.

Never would she have guessed that she'd be involved in a naughty little game of seduction with none other than Vincent Valentine. Her skin broke out in goose bumps at the very idea of it. And the mere fact that such a thing _was_ actuallyhappening had her tossing and turning at night, caught somewhere between fantasy and the irresistible notion of making that fantasy into blissful reality…

Not being distracted by traveling or searching or training left a lot of time to pursue other endeavors. It became nearly impossible for her to ignore the fact that she was in a room all by her lonesome, and he was only a few feet away, just as alone. She was all too tempted to return to his room and encourage him to pick up where he had left off before.

But she hadn't entirely been expecting him to show up at _her_ door—with an invitation to dinner, no less. Her heart leapt at the prospect of being with him on what she assumed could only be called a date. She even knew _just_ the outfit she would wear.

Unfortunately, her immune system had other plans. She supposed it was fortunate that she would catch a cold on the one week they weren't on the road, but she couldn't help the mild devastation she felt at having to turn Vincent down. She wouldn't have done so for anything less than absolute suffering—it was the worst cold she could remember having in years.

His disappointment was slight but she noticed it, albeit briefly. She was caught off guard when he took her hand and pulled her into hallway, insisting they could stay in instead. She could only manage a weak protest of, 'But I'll get you sick.' It was met with his confident assurance that such a thing would never happen. She couldn't quite understand what would make him say that so surely, so she was left to assume that it could only be from whatever unusual experience had left him with the ability to transform into otherworldly creatures.

She could only sigh as he led her to the lobby. She had taken a couple of cold pills with the intention of succumbing to slumber and sleeping off her stuffy head. But after only a few minutes in the presence of his warmth, she was grateful she had left her room. Misery loved company after all.

His tone was commanding yet gentle as he bid her to sit on the couch near the fire. She waited as he disappeared from the room, wondering where he had gone. Just when she was deciding that maybe she should go back to her room, he returned and draped a warm blanket over her. He vanished yet again, but she had already curled up under the blanket and let her eyes fall shut. They snapped open when she heard him step into the room again. When he handed her a hot cup of herbal tea, she could only express her undying gratitude in a relieved sigh, once again settling under the blanket as he sat down next to her.

They sat in stillness as she sipped at her drink and she couldn't shake the suspicion that their current state didn't reflect whatever plans he may have had if he'd been able to take her out. It certainly didn't seem nearly as exciting by comparison. But she was content to enjoy his company, even if she was enjoying it in silence. When her mug was empty, she set it on the coffee table and paused for a moment in indecision of what to do. Her exhaustion won out, and she snuggled comfortably against him.

She froze briefly when she felt his arm make its way around her, but she relaxed when he pulled her close and she could more easily find a place to rest her head against his chest. They conversed in subtle nothings as he responded to her vague drowsy mumbling. She rambled about dreams of running away from it all, to a big house and beautiful landscapes and someone who loved her. She was on the verge of asking him to be that someone when she succumbed to the effects of the tea and the cold medicine and drifted off to sleep.

She was vaguely aware of being carried, a voice trying not to disturb her, but wake her enough to ask her where her key was. She had once again forgotten it in her room, which meant she could only be taken one place to sleep.

His embrace was just as warm and soothing as she remembered. She was too sleepy to even consider the implications of being in a bed with him, but she'd been lucky that Cloud hadn't found them that morning. She wouldn't want to be caught in Vincent's room—in Vincent's _bed_—even if she _was_ fully clothed…

With a couple of rest-filled days and a will stronger than anything her body could throw at her, she was feeling much better. Her head was clear and her voice had returned. But she couldn't say much for her stomach—it was riddled with butterflies and she anxiously mulled over her plans for the night. Apparently Vincent hadn't forgotten about his proposition of dinner. Neither had she, for that matter, but she had already downplayed such an idea to nothing but a pipedream.

He showed up at her door on the very evening of the day she made the _slightest _implication that she was feeling well again. He seemed ready to sweep her off her feet—though she knew it wouldn't take much. She noted with joy and dismay that he looked as impossibly attractive as ever, if not more so with his minor change in wardrobe.

His attire was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. She'd never seen him wear anything but his standard outfit. …She'd seen him with_out_ pieces of his outfit, but never anything different. His shirt was plain but it matched his eyes so beautifully that she didn't care—though she could barely contain her thrill that his lack of a bandanna gave him a messier look that she found positively adorable.

His pants appearedto be the same leather ones that he always wore, but applying more thorough scrutiny would lead to an embarrassing misconception if he were to catch her—which he always did. And she'd be damned if she was going to make a fool of herself on her very first night out with Vincent Valentine.

She gave him another once over—he looked her up and down as well, only much more slowly and appreciatively. She smiled as she stepped out of her room. No doubt about it, she was excited to be seen on his arm. She just hoped her little black dress was enough to make her look nearly as good as he did.

Cosmo Canyon's isolation left little option of where to eat, but luckily had its own restaurant to offer. She squirmed in her seat at the famous Cosmo Candle, barely reading her menu as she imagined someone she knew seeing them there—on a _date_… if it even _was _a date. She supposed if anyone started making assumptions or accusations she could always pass it off as a simple meal between teammates. She would just… have to hope that they didn't notice the fact that her apparel seemed to contradict that.

If she'd ever been out on a date with a handsome man it certainly paled in comparison to what she was experiencing at the moment. The restaurant was fancy and expensive, as was the wine, and she felt truly _romanced _for once. They flirted, but it was sweet and heartfelt, not weighted down by the lust that flowed freely when they were in more private settings. She found herself really getting to know him. They'd made small talk in the past, back before their whole game had started, but now that they had grown closer, she found it easier to reveal personal things and hear about his in return.

Like a true gentleman, he paid the bill without hesitation, though she was embarrassed to realize that she had forgotten to bring money in her haste to find a proper outfit. She stared across the table, totally lost in his eyes as she wondered whether or not the evening was over.

She'd been careful with her wine, remembering how it had almost gotten her into trouble before, but she did feel a distinct lightheadedness that she could only blame on his presence. She briefly stumbled on the rocks as they walked near the stream, but he was quick to steady her before she fell. She breathed in and was delighted to discover that she could finally smell the brightly colored flowers that decorated the surrounding trees. The ambiance was both serene and exhilarating as she watched water shimmer with reflected moonlight. It really was a beautiful place. And despite the fact that she'd been very close to thinking that there was never really a true romantic connection between them, she couldn't ignore how her hand just felt so right in his.

She could only speculate where the night would have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. While walking along the riverbank, perhaps a little too close to the water, she slipped and was left with two very wet feet as she stumbled to regain her balance. She would have suffered through it for the sake of preserving her date, but once Vincent noticed that her were teeth chattering, he insisted that she should not be outside with wet feet so soon after recovering from a cold.

She was grateful that, in some strange way, she had his permission to go inside and warm up. She'd been hoping that such a prospect would lead to another night snuggling next to him, and maybe much, much more now that she was well on the road to recovery. But on her return to her room to get another pair of shoes, she became distracted in excited chit-chat with Aeris and her evening drew to an uneventful close. But it had been so, _so_ nice while it lasted…

She didn't want the week to end, but it was fading fast. The relaxation time was a key factor in her enjoyment of her stay in Cosmo Canyon, but so was the feeling of a return to a normal way of life. She could spend her energy on herself and her friends, not worrying about ShinRa or Sephiroth. Her drive would keep her on that path, struggling against those she set out to defeat, but the longer she remained in the village, the less inclined she was to leave.

At least she would be around for the big festival. She didn't know much about it, but she had gotten a gist of the concept from Nanaki. Apparently, every year when the local trees were flowering in full bloom, the village held a celebration. It was an ancient tradition of the elders to rejoice in the change of the seasons and the flowers' representation of life in its fullest. However, the members of the younger generation came from all over to use the festival as an excuse for non-stop partying.

Looking around, Tifa really couldn't blame them. It really was rather compelling—the bright glow of the sunset slowly being replaced by the fiery glow of the flames in the center of the town square, matching the brilliant hue of the flora. She could also understand why the youths had created a custom of their own—she supposed they'd look for any excuse to infuse love and couples into a time-honored tradition.

The legend stated that if a man were interested in a woman, he would pick a blossom off a native tree. At the festival, he would present her with the flower and, if she accepted it, the two would be bound in heart and spirit for as long as the flowers were in bloom. Once the flowers faded away with the passing seasons, the two people would have to find connection in themselves, rather than the mysterious magic of the flowers.

She had entered the festivities with Yuffie and Aeris, but she quickly found herself lost among the throngs of people. She was drifting through dancing teenagers and disapproving elders, looking for _any_ face that she recognized. She saw a familiar pink dress in the distance, and she fought her way through the crowds to get to it. But before she could make it there, she was distracted by an equally familiar, but far more enticing, pair of crimson eyes.

There was a sharp intake of breath as she was suddenly frozen in her tracks. She was completely entranced by Vincent's gaze as he walked towards her in a manner that made her believe time had slowed. When he had finally arrived in front of her, she swallowed hard, anticipating whatever this encounter might bring them. He looked over her form approvingly. "You look…" She waited with anticipation for him to finish his assessment—she was rewarded with another, much slower once over, and a low hum that invited her to fill in the blank herself. She could only take his slight growl as a sign that he liked what he saw.

She tried to think of something she could say to strike up a conversation, but was left with only a distinct flutter in her stomach when he revealed the tree flower that he held in his hand. Blinking a few times, she took in the details of the scarlet petals, streaked with brilliant orange. There was no doubt that she would reach out and take the flower, binding them together in an age-old yet ultimately frivolous ritual—her acceptance was probably written in every facet of her visage. She reddened in surprise as he brushed the hair away from her face so he could place the flower behind her ear. The shade of her blush turned fierce as she realized that he had taken advantage, uncaring of her lack of response, and made her _his_.

Her eyes briefly flitted to the strangers around her, all caught up in the rhythm of the music. She too started to move in tempo, but turned away before she could become further lost in his eyes. She smirked to herself. If he liked the way her dress looked from the front, he'd really like the view from the other side. She flipped her hair so he could see that the garment was almost entirely backless, and began to slow her movements until they bordered on seductive. She supposed it was a subtle invitation for him to join her as she danced, but somehow it wasn't something she could picture Vincent doing.

Her hips swayed to the beat and became spellbound in her own motions, rather than distracted by anything he was doing. When she bumped into something, some_one_ she knew wasn't just anybody, she was unsure if she had unconsciously backed closer to him, or he had snuck up behind her as he so often did. She stopped abruptly as their bodies came into contact. She had planned to say she was sorry and make a quick escape, but she was halted by his hands on her sides, keeping her firmly in place.

His hot breath and smooth voice fell heavily on her ear as he leaned closer. "Don't stop," he insisted. A tremor went through her body as he spoke, and she shakily began to move her hips. To her amazement and utter nervousness, he moved with her.

The fleeting thought of _Bad, very bad_ passed through her mind, and she attempted to put a bit of distance between them. He promptly took notice of her efforts, and pulled her back to him, even closer than before. She responded a little more eagerly than even she had expected, grinding her hips back into his and increasing the friction between them.

Their pace picked up with the music, speed gathering with the tempo of the pounding drums, all building toward an epic crescendo. Tifa had fallen heavily into a daze from the heat of his body and the nearby fire, but she was still all too aware of his breath on her neck, and the brief sensation of his tongue on her skin. She gasped, unable to stop herself in her shock.

"Forgive me," He leaned down to speak to her, noticing how she stiffened. She could feel the deep vibrations reverberate throughout her entire body. "I was… caught up in the moment," he apologized in a way that sounded as if he was anything but sorry. She scowled through her blush. He couldn't honestly expect her to believe that he had done that unconsciously. She wasn't about to let him get away with it.

She spun around in his grasp so she was facing him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Deciding to be a little daring, she slowly brought a leg around his waist. His hand followed the hemline of her gauzy white dress as it rose indecently high. She blushed furiously when he gripped her backside, in disbelief that she had been one-upped so quickly.

She pressed her chest close to his in retaliation. But when she melted as his clawed fingertips grazed her bare back, she realized that she would either have to fight a lot harder than that, or just give in. Looking into his eyes as their foreheads nearly touched, she decided that giving in was a lot more fun. This wasn't about the game; it was about something else entirely.

She felt the passion rising between them, his gaze holding her in an intense, almost unbearable connection, her self-control becoming rapidly lost in a sensual trance. Their lips were a few scant millimeters apart, leaving a perfect opportunity for the kiss she'd been craving from him since the moment they'd met. She let her eyes fall closed, half in anticipation of his kiss, half in an effort to build up the courage to kiss him herself.

But before either possibility could reach existence, she felt someone watching her. Eyes widening into a stare, she could just barely make out a pair of eerily recognizable blue orbs amidst the hordes of festival-goers. She could only stare back at Cloud as he watched them, his face as unreadable as ever. She experienced a myriad of emotions as she thought of the fact that she had been 'caught' by the one person she dreaded being discovered by the most. The idea of losing her chances with Cloud was enough to make her abandon the notion of kissing the man in front of her. However, she couldn't deny the pang of defiance towards Cloud that caused her to rock her hips more heavily against Vincent's, not willing to show shame for enjoying the company of someone else when the man she thought she loved barely paid her any mind.

She turned back to Vincent but the music abruptly stopped. Slowly, her leg slid back down to the ground, and she stared up at him with expectancy and slight embarrassment. He made no effort to let her go, so she decided to stay clinging to him as well, bodies as close as ever. He licked his lips, and she could only wonder what he was thinking. "Would you like to…"

_Go upstairs? _her mind finished hopefully, already coming up with plans to sneak away from the party and up to one of their rooms without being noticed. "Hmm?"

"Would you like to have a drink?"

She blinked a few times, briefly throwing a glance back to where she had seen Cloud earlier and finding that he was gone. A drink wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it was a start. And if the evening ended the way she was hoping, she could probably use a stiff drink to settle her nerves and stifle her inhibitions. Though she couldn't help but feel that dancing with Vincent was intoxicating enough. She adjusted the flower in her hair as she took his hand and allowed herself to be led towards the bar.

The bar was far too crowded to get anywhere near close enough to make an order. Vincent frowned. "Wait here. I'll get the drinks."

She couldn't help but frown as well at the idea of being once again lost alone in the massive crowd. She pouted slightly. "Okay."

Watching him disappear into the masses, she noticed someone was next to her watching him as well, but with an air of confusion rather than longing. She eyed Cloud guiltily. It had been easy enough to pretend she hadn't seen him before, when he'd been so far away, but she couldn't act as though she hadn't noticed him this time.

She cleared her throat. "So, um, Cloud… are you having a good time?"

He shrugged. "Fine I guess," He took a pause that she couldn't quite interpret. "What about you?"

She stammered a bit, trying desperately not to let on that she was having _such _a good time that she was entertaining the idea of running upstairs to a room with Vincent. "Y-yeah… pretty good. I was just going to get a drink…"

She scanned the crowd for any sign of the man who was supposed to be _getting _said drink, and found him seated at the bar. Cid was next to him, obviously plastered. One of his arms was drunkenly draped over Vincent's shoulders as the pilot was animatedly reliving his glory days. She nearly laughed at Vincent's struggle to get away—but Cid was rather boisterous and persistent, especially when drunk.

Vincent's eyes finally locked with hers and she gave him a sympathetic smile. Taking notice of Cloud, his eyes narrowed into a glare and she was once again tempted to laugh at the bitter contempt that wasn't even remotely hidden in his glower.

She noted with mild dismay that Cloud also seemed to realize that he was being watched. She wouldn't even begin to know how to explain that Vincent seemed to suddenly hate him. Luckily, he became distracted by something over her shoulder. She turned and watched with grateful relief as Aeris strode towards them.

She smiled at them both, and put a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Cloud, you look tired. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

He scratched the back of his head as he thought about it. "Yeah. Maybe I will. G'night," he addressed both of them, before turning to head to his room.

Tifa, in the meantime, had been watching the scene at the bar with dismay. She heard Aeris's giggle behind her. "You're not going to get him back you know."

Tifa sighed, turning back to her friend. "I know," she said with a forced laugh. She couldn't refute the humor in the situation, but she was still disappointed that she was once again denied of what could have been a devastatingly perfect evening.

Aeris donned a playful grin. "So did I miss anything after the dirty dancing?"

She shook her head ruefully. "No, not really."

"That's too bad," she said, the teasing smile never wavering.

Tifa couldn't help but join her in the joking. "You're telling me!"

They chuckled together until Aeris's face suddenly fell. "It's not gonna be much fun being back on the road is it?"

Tifa frowned. "No… not at all. I really don't want this week to end. It's been nice to relax."

Aeris patted her back with compassion. "So make it last," she offered. "Your time's short, so make it worth it," she said with a smile, receiving a nod in response. "But I think I'm going to bed too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

When Aeris left, Tifa turned back to the bar to find that Vincent was in the process of hauling off a passed-out Cid. She stretched, deciding that she too would go to bed and trying to accept the fact that she would have to be going alone.

One more day. One more day to make the whole trip worth it.

Morning couldn't come soon enough.

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**A.N.: So there it is folks. Please, PLEASE review. Oh, and some of you have been using the (greater than)(underscore)(less than) face, which cuts off reviews. I think I've lost a couple of reviews that way and it makes me sad. It's just something to think about when you leave reviews. I know I've messed up a few reviews that way (insert said face here).**

**Hope there weren't too many mistakes. I really had to get to bed, so I had to trust my betas XD Thanks to lady winde as always and my darling love, Linda.**


	7. Shifting Gears

**A.N.: Okay, it's finally here. Lemme address a couple of things.**

**I've not played Dirge of Cerberus and what I know of it I accordingly ignore XD I've grown to dislike the way it complicates things and messes stuff up. So I'm keeping it simple, down to the very bare basics of Vincent's story that you hear about in the game.**

…Because last I checked, this is called the Final Fantasy 7 section, not Dirge of Cerberus :P

**XXXXXXXXX**

She felt sort of ashamed of herself. After what she'd been doing last night, how could she possibly allow herself to be jealous? …But she couldn't help it. And she so desperately wanted to when she felt her heart wrench at the sight of them.

_Cloud and Aeris sitting in a tree_, her mind mocked.

_K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

Well no, she quickly reasoned, they weren't doing _that_,as far as she was aware. But it could only be a matter of time. Maybe it was going on already. Her escapades with Vincent had been enough to make her realize that it was rather easy to hide a so-called 'dirty little secret' from the rest of the group.

But what little indication between them that she was seeing, she didn't like. She could almost laugh as she thought of her envy. After all that had been going on, she still had feelings for Cloud—at least enough to be bothered by the amount of attention he appeared to devote to Aeris. Who knew?

She was aware of Vincent watching her and still she could not tear her concentration away from the two of them. There was something decidedly intimate and yet dispassionate about the way they were talking to one another. It only took a moment's thought to determine why.

Her conversation with Aeris had led her to understand a few things. Aeris had already experienced what she regarded as her one great love. It seemed to have been unfortunately cut short, but she had described it as 'all she needed.' From what Tifa could tell, Aeris wasn't interested in pursuing further romantic interests.

Tifa remembered coming to that conclusion at the time, but it was little consolation when she considered that she had no idea what Cloud's affections might be. The man was a walking enigma, albeit a less enticing one than Vincent. Cloud's mystery was one that made her frustrated, always second guessing herself and finding the chase more maddening than thrilling.

So what was she left with then? Faith that Aeris wouldn't do something to hurt her, nor would she want to, and stifling uncertainty as to how Cloud felt. If she threw in herself, and Vincent, she supposed, Tifa found herself in a tricky little love polygon.

Then again, who even knew where Vincent would factor into such an equation. His advances on her, while somehow even blatant in their subtlety, were nonetheless unreadable. Did he have interest in her for who she was or for something else? And maybe the lust that seemed so apparent wasn't even real. Maybe he didn't even like her at _all_. There was absolutely no telling. He was just another complicated facet in her life.

She excused herself from the little circle around the bonfire, desperately trying to ignore Vincent's eyes burning into her back, to find someplace more secluded to continue her thoughts.

Cloud's motives were even more mysterious. Vincent was somehow predictable in the way he'd find the most unpredictable ways to make her sweat, but Cloud didn't strike her as quite the same creature of primal instinct. She couldn't shake the suspicion that his attentions towards Aeris were a way of spiting her. She knew it was self-centered of her to come to that conclusion, but she had noticed a definite rise in Cloud's interest in Aeris since the beginning of the whole little 'game' with Vincent—particularly after the display they had made the night before.

…No, Cloud didn't seem the spiteful type. But he most certainly had taken notice of the two of them.

She berated herself for spending so much time moping. Aeris had made the smart suggestion to make the most of their last day of relaxation. Maybe instead of being up here, by herself, pondering life's mysteries until her brain hurt, she should be back with the group, more particularly with Vincent, making this last night something to remember.

But she wasn't sure how she felt about that anymore. It was still an altogether tempting thought, but also one that caused her a pang of worry. Perhaps that whole thing had been a mistake. What if she were ruining her chances with Cloud, whatever they may be, by continuing to tease and be teased by Vincent? Sure, it was fun, but wasn't love supposed to be more important?

Love… That brought another bitter smile to her face. Of all times for her to decide that that was how she felt about Cloud. And even still, she wasn't truly certain. It didn't seem worth wasting her love on someone who didn't have the same feelings. Tifa's experience had made her think that love was beyond Cloud's capacity, but after observing him with Aeris, maybe it was only out of his realm to love _her_.

She scoffed. And why wouldn't he be fascinated with Aeris? She was sweet and kind. She was cheerful for everyone else's sake, at times where Tifa could only withdraw into pensiveness the way she was doing now. But she supposed the biggest factor of all was the fact that Aeris was outgoing. She was confident, she made bold moves, she took what she wanted. Maybe Cloud didn't fall into the category of what she wanted, but it was certainly an attractive quality in a person, that kind of vibrancy and self-assuredness.

And all Tifa had was a poorly constructed emotional mask and a heart hanging out on her sleeve for the whole world to see. She couldn't assert herself like that. She would just hover in the background, hopeless and hopeful and shy as ever, waiting until he came around.

That didn't make people fall for one another. Not in the real world. He wouldn't just suddenly change his mind and go for the girl who stumbled when she spoke to him. He wouldn't want the shy girl, the reserved one who was careful about putting herself in situations where her fragile emotions would be made known. Who _would_?

She was startled into a gasp at the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned, and it didn't surprise her that Vincent had climbed the ladder to the observatory without her hearing him. He was rather stealthy that way.

She forced a tired smile as he approached her and stood next to her at the railing. He hesitated for a moment before heading straight to the point.

"…You've not stopped thinking of him."

She sighed in response.

"He… does not deserve you."

"Think that's it?" She laughed resentfully, pushing away from the railing a bit so she could look at him. "Wouldn't that be nice…" She gazed out at the moon again. "But who knows? Maybe it's me," She paused, feeling a renewed sadness and fighting the sudden quivering in her voice. "I guess… I don't deserve to be happy."

She inhaled sharply when his claw wrapped around her arm in a tight grip and pulled her towards him, locking her in an intense gaze. "I will not tolerate you talking like that," he whispered harshly. "I spent far too much of my life sounding that hopeless; I cannot allow you to do the same."

She looked at him with shock and curiosity, wondering what brought on that sudden outburst. She wavered a little under his severe stare and powerful grip. She swallowed hard and squared her jaw, trying to ignore the metal talons digging into her flesh, threatening to draw blood. "…Vincent, you're hurting me," she said, for lack of another response.

He withdrew his hand as if it burned, and just as abruptly pulled her into an embrace. She relaxed into him, holding him in return. She couldn't help but smile faintly—this must have been his way of apologizing. She inhaled his scent and enjoyed his warmth and he was promptly forgiven. But she couldn't shake her inquisitiveness about whatever memory of his her self-pity had triggered. She snuggled a bit further into him while she had the chance, savoring the moment before she dared to ask what was on her mind.

"Vincent…" she began tentatively, becoming more convinced about her conjecture as she stopped to think. "Who was she?"

She felt his body stiffen a bit, and for a moment she was terrified that she had struck a nerve. She glanced up at him and found his face as impassive as it always was. That only deepened her worry.

He stared out at the open sky as she had done only moments earlier. "…No one important."

She stifled a tiny mocking laugh against his chest before risking looking him in the eyes. "You expect me to believe that?" Too late she was concerned that she may have struck a nerve.

Immense relief flooded her body as his face softened and the corners of his mouth just barely curved upward. "No, I suppose not."

And in an instant he fell back into that strange, unreadable façade. She sighed and rested her head against him again, letting the silence serve as either an opportunity for him to forget that she had ever asked, or a chance for him to answer her question when he was ready.

After a few moments she felt him inhale deeply, as if he was preparing to speak. She held her own breath, wondering if he would tell her what she wanted to know or if he would change the subject entirely.

"Her name was… Lucrecia."

Tifa felt an unexpected pang of jealousy when she heard the reverence with which he spoke her name. She had intended to look at him, but instead she kept her eyes lowered. "That's a pretty name," she said thoughtfully, wondering if she'd heard the name before. "Was she pretty?" she asked with a bit of childish innocence.

"Yes," he said, sounding faintly amused by the nature of her question. "She was pretty."

She couldn't stop from frowning at his answer. Of course this Lucrecia was pretty. And smart, no doubt. …Probably witty and funny as well. She couldn't possibly be anything less, if she had managed to capture _Vincent's_ heart.

She gently pulled out of his grasp, joining him in his stargazing. She wanted to know more, and yet she didn't. Her curiosity wouldn't let her leave it there, but her growing sense of doom told her to get out of there and go back to her room before she found herself with another reason to feel like her heart was breaking. When did she develop such an uncanny ability to be interested in men who had someone much more desirable in their sights?

"How… um…" Her nosiness had evidently won out. "How did you meet her?"

There was a pause she couldn't quite interpret, and then he spoke. "You are aware who Hojo is, correct?"

Tifa could only assume that he was going somewhere with this, rather than think that he had blatantly changed the subject in an attempt to sidestep her inquiry. "Yes, I know him." She suppressed a shudder—she just wished she _didn't _know him.

"Lucrecia was his wife."

She couldn't possibly picture—nor did she _want_ to picture—Hojo as a married man. "His wife?" Vincent was in love with someone's _wife_?

"Yes. I knew her before they were married."

That statement lessened her scandalized reaction to Vincent pining for a married woman, but it painted a picture of the tragedy that his story was going to reveal to her. When a hush once again fell over them, she nodded slightly in encouragement for him to carry on.

"We met when I was a Turk, stationed in Nibelheim. She was a scientist working in the Nibel Mansion."

Tifa frowned. The Nibel Mansion had been abandoned for years, and she certainly didn't remember any Turks in her town for extended periods of time, even when she was very young. Vincent must have been asleep a very long time.

Something made her want to ask if it was love at first sight, but she didn't want to know the answer. She chose a somewhat different question. "And you… loved her?" He had used the past tense to describe Lucrecia, causing her to presume that she was no longer a part of his life. Tifa elected to use the past tense as well, giving him a chance to correct her and say that while the subject may have gone, his feelings had not.

"I… did love her, yes."

She couldn't deny that she was a bit glad. It wouldn't have surprised her if the love he was reflecting upon could have lasted the years he was in stasis. "And what happened?" She was less cautious with her questions now that she no longer feared finding out that he still longed for another woman.

"Hmm," he said, and she tilted her head in question. "I suppose I do not know if she actually held any romantic interest in me."

Tifa smiled humorlessly to herself. Didn't _that _sound familiar.

"But at any rate, she eventually rejected me. I did not fit into her plans."

"What do you mean?"

He frowned and narrowed his eyes, vaguely shaking his head. "Her plans included her work. Her work included marrying Hojo and letting him experiment on their child."

"What?" Suddenly Lucrecia didn't seem so ideal. Not only did she discard a wonderful man who loved her, she did it so she could conceive a baby with a madman and then leave it at his mercy.

"Sephiroth," he said simply. "The Jenova Project."

She remained in an awed hush, processing the information.

He sighed and her heart went out to him. "I suppose I don't know why I fell for her… or why I would try to stop Hojo on her behalf. At the time, I thought she was worth it. But after all the experimenting, I'm not sure anymore. …All the wasted time and effort."

She badly wanted to comfort him, but was at a loss. She knew that any words she may be able to come up with couldn't possibly be the right ones.

Suddenly he was looking at her again. "I would not wish the same for you."

She smiled faintly in understanding and nodded. "But I guess sometimes you can't help it. We're all just fools in love, aren't we?" Her smile widened, indicating that she saw some humor, although dark humor, in the situation and encouraged that he do the same. She added a comically grave tone to her speech. "Fated to be doomed by our pursuits for affection."

To her relief, he seemed to share in the mirth. "Surely we are not doomed forever."

"Think so?"

"Absolutely. Being alone to think in a coffin for thirty years is an extremely effective method for getting over a relationship gone awry," he said with a smirk in his voice.

She giggled. "Oh, I'm sure it is," She was sidling a bit closer before she was even aware of it. "But what do you suggest for someone who doesn't have that kind of time?"

"Pleasant company," he answered without missing a beat, and this time she was almost certain that he was the one who had moved closer, "Preferably the enticingly distracting kind."

She tried not to notice the way he looked at her as he said that. She swallowed with mild anxiety. "You don't say?"

"Oh yes. And it doesn't hurt if you find someone who is fascinating to be around to focus your attention on."

She took the moment to painstakingly scrutinize her fingernails. "And um… that really works huh?"

She only braved looking up in the silence that followed, interested as to why he hadn't answered. But he had obviously been waiting for just that moment of eye contact. Damn him, how could she have forgotten that he _knew _what kind of effect he had on her?

He briefly raised an eyebrow at her fidgeting. "It worked very well for _me_." He punctuated the last word with a very pointed stare, and she promptly blushed and looked away.

He couldn't possibly be implying what it seemed like he was implying, no matter how obvious he was being about it. Was that it then? He had diverted his attentions to _her_? Well, she thought, laughing nervously in her head, it was nice to feel important. She continued to find the railing very captivating as she leaned against it, cradling her chin in her palm and fretfully chipping away the peeling paint.

She could feel his eyes on her, and the heat returned to her cheeks. She vaguely reminisced about her ambition of making this night something memorable. She nearly jumped when his voice broke the silence.

"You're very beautiful."

She slowly lifted her head out of her hand blinked at him dazedly.

"…Has anyone ever told you that?"

She was completely caught off guard by the compliment, not to mention the question. Though she admonished herself for seeming a bit shallow, she was secretly giddy at that fact that he had only referred to Lucrecia as pretty. When Tifa had asked him if Lucrecia was pretty, she had expected him to elaborate on her adjective. She could picture it just like a movie. _Pretty? No—Beautiful. _But he hadn't. He had saved that word for her.

But that's all it was, she quickly reminded herself. Just a word, and not even a word that described anything to be considered remotely important in a person's character. How many drunkards had she heard it from at the bar?

Still…

She had never heard it from anyone she… might have liked to hear it from. No one whose opinion mattered to her. No one she genuinely liked. That's what made it seem so significant.

She could only blush and stammer quietly, so aware of what little things like that meant to her. But she was more aware of his metal claw settling on her hip, and she instinctively turned to face him. She looked up and was mesmerized by the expression on his face.

Never had she seen him genuinely smile quite like that. Even his smirks were so rare that she prided herself in eliciting them. But this smile… it was still far from a grin, or a smile by anyone else's standards, but on him it spoke volumes.

His fingers came up underneath her chin and before she even had a chance to breath his lips were on her. Not quite as ravenous and forceful as in her dreams, but just as passionate and so much better because it was real.

She was positively thrilled that it could finally be like this. No prying eyes, no pesky inhibitions…

She eagerly pressed herself against him, letting her hands smooth up his chest and settle around his neck, as she pulled herself even closer. The first breathtaking kiss swiftly faded into another, and another, and another, until she was dizzy and thinking of where she could be merely minutes from now, thoroughly making the most of what could be her last chance to be alone with him like this.

"Hey Tifa, are you up here?" Cloud's voice was accompanied by the sound of footsteps on the ladder.

She gasped and pulled away more abruptly than she had intended to. It somehow wasn't fair that she should still feel like she was being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"Oh," Cloud said after climbing the ladder and finding them standing together. "Vincent… you found her."

"Yes," he said, sounding smug. "I did."

"Well, uhh…" Cloud scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uhh, good then."

A tense silence ensued. Vincent cleared his throat, seemingly annoyed at the interruption. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"I… just wanted to tell everyone that they should go to bed soon… like… _now_, kinda, cause we'll be leaving pretty early tomorrow," He turned to Tifa. "You especially need the sleep, y'know, cause you've been sick."

Tifa forced a smile, finding that she share in Vincent's exasperation at the intrusion. "All right Cloud, thank you."

To her dismay, he didn't move, and she realized that he wasn't going to until he had seen her off to bed.

"O-oh, um… all right then," she said uneasily, throwing Vincent an apologetic look as she stepped away from the railing to join Cloud. "Goodnight Vincent," she said. "…Sorry…" she mumbled, hoping Cloud wouldn't hear.

"Not at all," he said slyly, not trying quite as hard to avoid being heard, and she suddenly halted her departure. "You need your rest," He leaned in until he was whispering in her ear. "He doesn't want you up all night," He reached out to her, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment. He leaned in closer, if that was possible. "But _I _do."

At the teasing quality in his voice, she looked at him with both fury and longing. She wanted nothing more than to stay there with him, but how could she have possibly forgotten about their little game. Oh, this was not over yet.

As she walked away from him, she was already formulating was to get him back for his last victory. But she'd certainly think better without Cloud buzzing in her ear, not being very subtle in trying to find out what Vincent had said to her.

"Goodnight Cloud," she said somewhat harshly, brusquely closing the door to her room and falling back on her bed with a sigh.

Perhaps her 'memorable' evening hadn't quite progressed to the desirable ends she'd been hoping for, but it was definitely something. Something incredibly satisfying and yet not nearly enough because it had spent such a long time in coming.

Her dreams would be more vivid tonight.

…And she was looking forward to the buggy ride tomorrow.

**XXXXXXXXX**

**A.N: Gasp, they kiss! Let's just say even _I _was excited for this chapter XD Hope it didn't disappoint.**

**And while you're being so awesome with reviews for this fic, please consider leaving one on my new VinTi fic as well. It needs lovin too!**

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Slippery When Wet

**A.N.: Okay, so I didn't get 40 reviews for the last chapter. But I got impatient. But if I don't get those 3 reviews for chapter 7 I won't be posting the next one:tries to look threatening: For reals.**

**Anyway, I'd like to address a review from last chapter.**

**Adam Never:**

**I'm sorry you were disappointed by the last chapter. That's okay, you're entitled. But it would be nice if before you accuse me of ruining my story, you at least read it a bit more thoroughly. I _clearly _indicated that things would be getting back on track with the game. If you had really read it, you would have seen that.**

**Yes, the last chapter had a 'different vibe' as you put it. I didn't want to have to write it either. But it was entirely necessary. Vincent and Tifa both have other significant people in their lives that need to be addressed and dealt with. As someone who values well thought out and realistic writing, I can't just ignore Cloud and Lucrecia because Vincent and Tifa want to bone each other. Not gonna happen.**

**And as far as the whole Aeris girl-talk thing goes, I've been planning to have more of that for MONTHS. I've had this whole STORY planned out for months. So before you yell at me to 'KEEP THE SAME VIBE AS THE FIRST CHAPTERS' wait it out, give me a little freakin credit, and have some FAITH in me for God's sake! XD Do you really think I'd risk a story that gets 40 reviews per chapter by turning it into mush?**

**That was also basically to anyone who may have been having doubts. I did notice some faves disappearing :( And sorry for that rant. I've been sitting on that for a while.**

**Now that THAT nonsense is out of the way, here's the chapter.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

This was wrong, all wrong. How could this possibly have happened? This wasn't _right_.

She should have known something was up when, upon arriving at the buggy, she saw Barret in the driver's seat. A second glance to Barret's right had revealed Vincent sitting shotgun. That was a bad, _bad _sign.

How, how, _how _did she _possibly _end up seated in _Cloud's _lap this time? She stared at her hands, not knowing what else to do, inevitably reminded of the last time she'd ended up in a similar situation. That had been incomprehensibly awkward as well, but for an entirely different reason.

With Vincent she had been nervous because of her undeniable attraction to him. The dirty thoughts that raced through her mind, spurred by theintimacy of their position. The way she wanted more when she felt him pulling her closer.

But Cloud was completely different. He didn't push the envelope and put his hands where they weren't supposed to be. He didn't touch her or make her squirm with lust and faint anticipation. He didn't whisper hotly in her ear or give her any vague indication that he might want her.

No, this was awkward because she _wanted _to be in the lap of someone else. She couldn't help but look at Vincent longingly each time he managed to send a furtive glance in her direction. He seemed just as displeased with the situation as she was, if not infinitely more so. She knew well enough by now that Vincent… didn't exactly approve of the way Cloud tended to behave.

That disapproval had manifested into a bit of silent anger during the buggy ride. When Vincent wasn't returning Tifa's passionate stares with equal intensity, he was glaring daggers at Cloud.

Tifa didn't blame him. She would probably be doing the same thing if her position allowed. She wasn't quite sure when she had become so cynical, but her gut told her that the sudden seating rearrangement wasn't a mere coincidence.

This was so, _so _unfair. Just when things felt like they were going right, just when she was starting to figure things out… Just when she was ready to jump back into the game, ready to tease Vincent to his limit…

How was she supposed to get her revenge when he was so damn far away?

OoOoOoOoO

They relaxed in the tent, perfectly comfortable in a ridiculous position with their feet in opposite corners, heads adjacent in the center. Tifa stretched out her limbs, raising her arms above her and wiggling her toes.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, deciding to break the easy silence they had lapsed into after extended periods of long-overdue girl talk.

"Sure," Aeris said through a yawn.

It was getting late, but Tifa was anything but tired. "Do you…" She rolled onto her stomach and her friend followed her cue, looking her encouragingly in the eye. "Do you think that Cloud is trying to keep me away from Vincent?"

She saw the awkward look on Aeris's face, and although she had expected that her assumption was probably correct, getting a second opinion made it seem so… grim.

"Yeah," Aeris admitted, sounding apologetic. "I think maybe he is."

Tifa let out an exasperated sigh and flipped onto her back again. "_Why_?" she asked with distress frustration.

Aeris scooted over next to her, sitting cross-legged and looking down at her on the floor of the tent. "You really wanna know?"

Tifa frowned at the question. Was there some reason she _wouldn't _want to know? "Yeah."

"Well…" She furrowed her brow, as if she didn't feel like she was explaining properly. "He wants you to all to himself."

At this Tifa sat upright, narrowing her eyes in suspicion and confusion. "…What?" She couldn't possibly believe—nor did she want to—that after all this time, all the grief she went through because he ignored her, he 'wanted her to himself.'

Aeris shook her head, reclining again and staring at the tent roof in thought. "What I mean is…"

Tifa leaned back on her hands and listened intently.

"I think it's like… You've always been there for him, right? And you're always taking care of him," She paused to laugh slightly. "I've been trying to help him too, but I guess I just don't know him as well as you do…" Aeris turned on her side and looked at her. "I mean you're like… the only thing that's been there his whole life. I think he's scared of losing you, even if he doesn't know why."

Tifa couldn't think of anything to say for a long while, letting the information. Finally, she asked the first question on her mind. "Did um… did he tell you that?" She'd known Aeris to be rather intuitive at certain times, but that was some pretty heavy-duty info.

Aeris smiled knowingly. "What do you think we talk about all those times we're alone? The weather?"

Tifa smiled a bit, but swallowed hard. It had been so easy to resent Cloud for trying to keep her and Vincent apart, so easy to want to spite him if he was realizing feelings he was too late for. But she had overlooked other explanations, and when it came down to it, it was really very simple. She bit her lip. "What… what should I do?"

"Listen…" Aeris said with sincerity. "Cloud's gonna be okay. It might be a while… maybe a _long_ while, but he will be. I mean, I know you're not gonna abandon him, and I think maybe he really knows that too."

Tifa nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

Aeris giggle faintly. "He's just a dope," she assessed with a playful grin.

Tifa nodded again, this time in agreement as a smirk formed on her face. "Yes… he definitely is."

Another silence ensued before Tifa broke it again. "It's no fun being back on the road…" she complained.

Aeris sighed sympathetically. "Yeah I know…" she trailed off. "Hey," she said suddenly, sullen tone lost. "You never told me what happened to that outfit I saw you throwing out."

Tifa blinked, and when she finally realized what Aeris was talking about she was amazed to think that it had been so long ago. In fact, Aeris had been missing out on most of the things that occurred over the past week.

She started at the beginning, retelling the story of Vincent's latest victory and the unfortunate fate of her clothes.

She segued into when she'd been sick, and they'd ended up in bed together, and how she'd desperately wished that she were well at the time…

She'd already managed to divulge some details about her date on the night it happened, and she was getting into her time at the festival when Aeris interrupted her.

"Now THAT I saw," Aeris said, eyes glinting with mischief. "And you're seriously trying to tell me you two didn't end up in bed after that? What happened?"

Tifa sighed. "Cloud happened."

"Oh right, sorry," Aeris said with mock guilt. "I knew I shouldn't have left him alone."

Tifa giggled. They were talking about Cloud like he was some misbehaved pet who had a tendency to ruin the furniture.

"And last night…" Tifa went on, lying back and staring dreamily at the ceiling. "He kissed me."

"He did?" Aeris had a glint in her eye. "So did you guys uh…" she trailed off suggestively.

Tifa flopped onto her stomach and spoke into her folded arms. "_No_," She hadn't really meant to sound _quite _so disappointed…

"What?" she said, sounding genuinely surprised. "I would figured once you two stopped screwing around and at least _kissed _each other than _nothing _would stop you from jumping in bed together," She raised an eyebrow in a request for explanation.

Tifa sighed. "Cloud happened again."

Aeris smiled sympathetically. "Oh well," She paused for a moment. "But you did get Vincent back for tearing your clothes, right?"

Tifa mumbled and looked away. "Umm, well, no, actually…"

"What! You can't let him get away with that! He ruined a perfectly good outfit to the point that you had to throw it out!"

"…I think he expected me to keep wearing it like that."

"_Still_," Aeris laughed. "As far as I'm concerned, this game isn't over yet."

Tifa agreed with a slight nod. The problem was she hadn't thought of anything to do about it.

"So _go_." Aeris insistently prodded her in the shoulder.

"…Right _now_?" Tifa asked in disbelief.

"Well as soon as possible!" she answered, grinning.

"I can't do anything _now_. Cid's in that tent too you know."

"So?" she said with continued persistence. "He's bound to go out for a cigarette eventually."

As soon as she spoke, they heard a thud from a few feet away, followed by loud swearing and disgruntled mumbling. Tifa peered through the flaps of the tent and watched a very pissed-off Cid walk off into the distance.

"Was that him?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you gonna go?"

"Uh-huh," she said, preparing to climb out of the tent. "I'll be back in a—" She suddenly withdrew with a startled gasp.

"What?"

"Cloud's out there."

Aeris came up behind her and the two cautiously looked outside. "What's he doing?"

He was rather far away, in the opposite direction that Cid had gone. He wasn't too easy to see in the dark, but his hair made for an unmistakable silhouette. "Just… standing there."

Aeris rolled her eyes. "He's such dope," she claimed again, pushing past Tifa and exiting the tent.

"Where are you going?" Tifa whispered harshly.

"I'm going to go distract him so you can go get Vincent before Cid comes back."

"You don't have to do that."

"Don't worry. I've gotten used to babysitting him while you go have fun with Vincent," she said with a wink as she headed off towards Cloud.

Tifa hesitated for a moment, eying the tent across from hers. If she was going to go, she was going to have to go soon… like _now_.

"Umm… Vincent?" she called outside his tent. She got no answer. "Vincent?" she called louder. Maybe he was sleeping. She didn't want to wake him u—

She was startled into a gasp when he suddenly threw open the tent flaps and stepped out in front of her. For a moment, she forgot to speak and merely stared. He was still fully clothed, so that at least lessened her worry that he'd been asleep. Remembering her mission, she smiled. "Hi."

Without a word he reached forward and drew her into a kiss. "Hello," he said when she pulled away.

Her smile widened. She'd been afraid that he'd come to regret kissing her the night before, that he would regard it as a mistake in a fleeting moment of weakness. But the way he kissed her just now and all the passion she felt behind it put her mind at ease. She was admittedly a bit giddy at the thought that now she had free reign to kiss him whenever she wanted.

She took him by the hand. "Come out with me for while," she entreated with a pout that was not meant to be ignored.

He easily allowed himself to be led as she walked away from the camp. "Where shall we go?"

"I saw a lake over this way. It was so pretty."

When they arrived at the water she gazed at it with appreciation. It was so much prettier in the moonlight. He pulled her close and kissed her again, and as much as she wanted to give into it and see where things went from there, she was desperate for the upper hand.

"Hey," she said with a bit of mischief. "How about a swim?"

"At this hour?" He raised an eyebrow, but she could tell it was in intrigue rather than skepticism.

"Sure," she said casually. "It's warm enough."

He looked at her strangely for a moment. "…I don't have anything to swim in."

She took his tone for reluctance, so she decided she would need to do a little bit of persuading. "That doesn't matter. Come on…" she said, pressing herself close. "It'll be fun."

He seemed to need further convincing. She very carefully, very slowly began to unfasten the buckles on his cloak. She looked deeply into his eyes as she went about it, searching for any hint of aggravation at the fact that she was undressing him. All she found as a bit of curious and eager fascination.

When she had finally undone all the clasps, and she'd been frustrated to find that there were so damn many, she pushed the garment away, letting it fall to the ground. She was unable to stop herself from running her hands over his torso appreciatively as she worked her way down to his pants line so she could pull his shirt out. When she had his shirt un-tucked she faltered a bit, not sure how to go about getting it off of him. Luckily, by then he had gotten the hint and removed it himself.

She wasted no time in going for his belt, before she thought about it too much and lost her nerve. By the time she had her fingers around his belt buckle, his hands had gone down to stop her.

"I think I can do that myself."

She frowned, thinking she had done something wrong. But then she saw the look in his eyes, the one that said he was afraid he was enjoying it _too _much. She slowly moved her hands away and stepped back, taking him in and wishing it wasn't so damn dark out. "All right," she said, smiling.

Her grin turned blatantly self-satisfied as she sauntered off towards the water. There was a brief hitch in her confidence as she suddenly wondered if he thought she'd been trying to imply that they should go skinny-dipping. _She_ definitely wouldn't strip completely with out _explicit_ clarification that that was the case, but he had proven far too many times that he was a great deal bolder than she was.

She reached the water's edge and looked over her shoulder. He was walking down the beach towards her. She could make out that he was still wearing boxers. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he hadn't misinterpreted her suggestion.

…Though it certainly wouldn't have been a _tragedy_…

She experimentally let her toes touch the water and broke out into goose bumps. It was colder than she expected.

She jumped when she heard Vincent next to her. He seemed clearly amused by her reluctance. "…Well?"

"I'm _going_," she said indignantly. "Are _you_?"

He said not a word and set out into the water.

She frantically went after him, only slowing then she chill of the water caused her to shiver. She stopped about mid-thigh.

"Are you coming?" he teased from his position waist deep in the water.

She scowled briefly before taking a deep breath and plunging into the water. She swam forward towards where she could only guess he was and emerged in front of him, gasping from the lack of heat and air.

She stared at him, still defiant but shivering visibly. He took pity on her and pulled her into an embrace. She tried to absorb as much of his body heat as she could. "…'s cold," she mumbled.

He smiled faintly. "This was your idea," he reminded her.

She huddled closer. "C'n we get out?" she said through chattering teeth.

"What happened to swimming?" he taunted.

"…I can't feel my legs."

He again showed mercy and led her shuddering form to the shore.

She suddenly wished she'd chosen something else to wear. Swimming in her pajamas had seemed like a good idea at the time, but the thin white material was rapidly making her nervous. It had seemed so much darker out before. She wrapped her arms around herself both for warmth and modesty.

He handed her his cloak so she could dry off and warm up, but she had other ideas. If she were going to turn this whole disastrous venture into some kind of victory, she'd have to persuade him into some more close contact. She spread his cloak on the ground and promptly sat on it, bidding him to do the same.

When Vincent plopped down next to her she wasted no time in working her way into his lap. She sighed contentedly. She had been waiting to do that all day. She was also secretly hoping that if anything happened to be showing through her shirt, he wouldn't be able to see it very well from this angle.

She allowed herself a moment to just sit and enjoy the scenery. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, and the moon helped to illuminate the lake. She'd always had a fondness for water. Near the shore, tiny fireflies gathered and zipped about. Their tiny lights reflected off the water, making it look like there were dozens of them.

Being with him neither the water reminded her of her date from a few days ago, but this time they were decidedly wetter and less clothed. Every time her body slid against his, the feeling would be intensified by the damp fabric. She took a moment to let herself be distracted by that fact that she was on top of a wet, half-naked Vincent.

When his arms encircled her waist, she could feel the heat from his hands through her shirt and she was almost tempted to tell him that she needed warming up in other places too. She pressed herself closer and squirmed a bit. The first time they had been like this, she had only fidgeted out of nervousness. This time, every movement, every shift of her hips was intentional, and she took satisfaction in the slight hitch she heard as he breathed into her ear.

"Vincent? Do you remember whe—"

"—Yes."

Tifa pouted. "You didn't even let me ask the question," she protested, though it wouldn't have surprised her if he'd known what she was going to ask.

"Go ahead."

"…Do you remember the first time we were like this?"

"It is not something I would easily forget."

She couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe she did have some kind of effect on him that day after all.

"…Do you remember what you said to me?" she asked. _She _certainly hadn't forgotten.

"Was it…" His grip tightened and his hand suddenly ran up her leg. "…something about what I wanted to… _do to you_?"

Her breath caught but she fought against the feelings that were stirred up by his words. She took a moment to compose herself. Oh nonononono—she was _not _letting him get the upper hand. "That was it," she said softly. "…But you got interrupted," She turned a bit so she could face him, and when she pressed her chest against his she became all too aware of their lack of dress. "…I wanted to hear the rest," she breathed.

She could see the desire in his eyes reflecting her own. It was so _so _exciting, but she was scared too. If she was seriously asking him to tell her in detail everything he wanted from her, she knew there'd be no stopping either of them from shedding the rest of their clothing and giving in to the attraction that had been there since day one. That of course was a favorable end that she was willing to sacrifice her little victory to, but they were out in the open. Cid and possible Cloud were walking around. What if someone caught them?

Before she knew it she was raising her fingers to his lips and stopping him as he began to speak. "Wait. I've got a better idea," She removed her fingers and replaced them with her lips. She kissed him just thoroughly enough for him to know what she wanted, but not so intensely that she got too wrapped up in it. She leaned in to whisper huskily in his ear. "_Come back to my tent with me…_"

He gently pushed her away so he could look at her. "…Aren't you… sharing a tent?"

She knew he was still trying to be rational and in control, but his voice was rough and a bit shaky with lust. "Aeris… cleared off for a while," she said suggestively.

He kissed her forcefully, and she couldn't help but wonder if tents came with 'do not disturb' signs. He stood and lifted her with him.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

She let her fingers trail down his neck to his hips. "_So _sure. I 'm dying to get out of these clothes."

He didn't need to be told twice. They set off for the tents and this time, she was the one being led.

She stopped him outside her tent, standing on her toes to kiss him again. "Vincent…" she said breathily into his ear. "…Thanks for coming back to my tent with me." She pulled away and smiled brightly at him. "And the swim, thanks for that too," She gave him a flirty wave as she turned away. "Have a good night Vincent. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Yes… you will."

She froze there for a moment with her back turned. Deciding to add insult to injury, she carefully slipped her sodden shirt over her head and tossed it at him, being mindful to keep herself covered. It hit him in the chest with a muffled slap before he caught it.

"Why don't you get out of those wet clothes too?" she suggested before disappearing into the tent.

She changed into something warm and dry and crawled into her sleeping bag, trying not to laugh at the look she'd seen on his face .The desire had still been there, even renewed when she had thrown her shirt at him, but it had been rapidly overtaken by fury and crushing disappointment.

That was all the proof she needed to know that her victory had been immensely effective.

…It also all the proof she need to know that, come tomorrow, she was in big, _big_ trouble.

XXXXXXXXX 

A.N. I think I've exhausted my chapter allowance for author's notes, so I'm just gonna say I hope you liked and please review :) Also, it's late so I didn't get to reread so I'm trusting that winde (who always helps me out) did a good job of reading.


	9. Blindsided

**A.N.: Hello everyone! Holy shit! (or should I say, HOT DAMN!) Nearly 60 reviews for this last chapter? You guys are incredible, thanks so much! And sorry if this chapter took a while. I really wanted to write it last weekend (weekends are kinda the only time during the week I can actually get writing done) but I woke up that Saturday morning with a massive, vomit-inducing migraine. So yeah, that kind of put a damper on my work ethic XD I was annoyed cause I was SO anxious to get this chapter out. And then THIS weekend homework decided to sneak up on me. But now here it is, and I'm so glad about it too. I actually had this idea way, WAY back when I was trying to decide if I should make this fic into a multi-chap or not. Though at the time I thought of it, I had no idea where the hell to put it. BUT, when I decided to add in a couple more chapters cause I wanted the fic to be longer, I found somewhere to fit it. So I'm pretty happy about that. Hopefully you all will be too.**

**And without further ado, I shall shut my damn mouth and get on with it.**

But of course, before I forget, thanks as always to ladywinde for being there to prod my muse into action and prevent me from writing crap XD And a big happy birthday to her as well. This one's for you, girly: )

XXXXXXXXX

Tifa had a good laugh the next morning as she watched a half-naked Vincent sneak down to the lake to retrieve his forgotten clothes. But when she was caught giggling she was promptly silenced with a glare that promised thoroughly exacted revenge, set off by a devious spark in his eyes that told her he was going to _enjoy _making her suffer. At that, she ducked back into her tent and swallowed hard. No doubt about it, she was in big trouble.

She sat down with her belongings and watched Aeris stride around the tent collecting her things and throwing them into her bag. Tifa stretched out and wiggled her toes. "So what's the plan for today?"

"Well," Aeris said, leaning over and zipping up her luggage, "Cloud wanted to get all the way back to Nibelheim."

Tifa frowned. It was already past noon and Nibelheim was still a _long _way away. "Today? Is he crazy?"

"Apparently so," Aeris laughed, grabbing Tifa's hand and dragging her to her feet. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he's convinced that we'll get there if we make good time… weather permitting of course."

Tifa frowned. "…Weather permitting?"

The two winced when thunder sounded outside. Aeris sighed and the pair stepped outside into the rapidly cooling air. "The rainy season's starting."

OoOoOoOoO

"Come on, just stuff him in the trunk!"

"We can't do that Yuffie."

"Why the hell not? He's asleep… uhh, turned off? Anyway, he's not gonna know the freakin difference!"

"We can't put him in the trunk just because he's a robot."

"Gawd Cloud, you just made my point right there! He's a RO-BOT. Of course we can stuff him in there! It's not gonna hurt him!"

Cloud frowned and scratched his head, gazing at Tifa and Aeris helplessly as they approached. Yuffie looked on with barely-concealed exasperation.

Aeris smiled sympathetically. "Look, maybe it's uh… not such a bad idea."

"Yeah," Tifa said with encouragement. "I mean… we're cramped enough as it is, and I don't think he exactly needs a seat to himself…" It was due to an overcrowded car that she had gotten herself into her little game with Vincent in the first place, but now that Cloud had gone and ruined that, she could easily see the benefits of having her own seat.

"_See_?" Yuffie butted in impatiently.

Cloud shook his head, defeated. "Fine, but you're gonna have to put him in there yourself."

Yuffie's annoyance only intensified as she grudgingly hauled the giant stuffed mog into the trunk, the first fat drops of rain falling on her head.

OoOoOoOoO

Tifa sighed deeply as the rain pounded on the roof of the vehicle, leaning her forehead against the window. She could barely see a thing through the glass, but she could tell well enough that they were sitting in a few inches of water.

The weather was _not _permitting.

Cloud was frowning behind the steering wheel, squinting through the torrential downpour as if he could somehow make the weather clear up if he concentrated hard enough.

She glanced behind her to Aeris, who shrugged with uncertainty. Tifa cleared her throat and leaned forward so she could see his face. "Cloud," she said gently. "We're not going to get over the river while it's flooded like this."

He shook his head and rested it on the steering wheel. "I know."

Aeris sat up straight and put on her most positive face. "It's okay if we don't get to Nibelheim _tonight_. The water's bound to go down by morning."

Cloud heaved a sigh. "I guess… I guess we can stop for the night," he conceded. "We can probably set up camp somewhere."

"Camp?!" Yuffie exclaimed from the back row. "Oh no, I don't think so. I'm not sleeping in a crappy little tent in this rain."

"Yeah, are you fuckin crazy man?" Barret asked, before looking a little disturbed that he was agreeing with Yuffie.

"Well I don't know of anywhere we can stay," Cloud said with a slight edge to his voice. "Does anyone else?"

There was a long silence. Vincent was the one to break it. "I may know of a place."

Everyone turned and stared with vaguely puzzled expressions. Cloud scratched his head. "Yeah? Where?"

"There was an inn a few miles from here. Of course, it was a… long time ago that I stayed there."

Nanaki nodded in concurrence. "It wouldn't hurt to take a look. We won't be getting anywhere this way."

Cloud still looked skeptical and moderately disappointed, but pulled the buggy away from the overflowing river. "All right," he decided, "Let's check it out."

OoOoOoOoO

"This is it?" Cid said bluntly. "Are you fuckin kidding me?"

Vincent frowned at the desolate, mildly rundown building in the distance. "I can assure you it did not look like that thirty years ago."

"Thirty years!" Cid shot back. "It's probably not even fuckin open anymore!"

"No," Tifa insisted, "It, uhh…" she peered through the sheets of rain at the hotel, "It looks open…" she said unconvincingly.

"…No it doesn't," Aeris muttered next to her.

"I know, I was just trying to be supportive!" she whispered back.

Nanaki swished his tail. "Perhaps we could go find out for ourselves instead of sitting here arguing about it?"

Cloud shook his head. "You're right. Come on guys."

"Uh-uh!" Yuffie protested. "There's no way in HELL I'm goin out in that rain!"

Barret opened the door and stepped out. "Then you can stay here and sleep in the damn car while the rest of us go somewhere fuckin _dry_."

"Ugh, fiiiiine!" Yuffie said dramatically, darting out of the car and being the first to make it to the front door.

"…It's locked," Cloud said lamely, trying the doorknob. "And it looks… pretty abandoned. What do you guys think we should do?"

"Duh! Break in!" Yuffie said casually, shoving Cloud out of the way and working on picking the lock.

"We can't do that."

"Umm…" Tifa stepped forward. "Why not? I don't think anyone owns this place. And it still looks fairly clean. I think it'll be safe for one night."

"Aha!" Yuffie said triumphantly as the door swung open and she dashed in out of the rain.

The group found the hotel to be deserted as well as completely dark. But upon further inspection, they discovered that it actually had running water in all the rooms and there were clean bed linens in storage.

They all met up back in the lobby. "Well," Cloud said, "I think it will probably be okay if we stay here."

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

"So… Pick a room, I guess, and try to settle in."

When everyone turned to walk away, Cloud stopped them one last time. He scanned the group with his eyes narrowed, scratching the back of his head. Everyone waited expectantly for what he was going to say.

"Uhh… did anyone get Cait out of the trunk?"

OoOoOoOoO

She couldn't see a damn thing, but there was something strangely thrilling about having a hotel all to herself. Sure, the others were there as well, but it was easy enough to pretend that they weren't when she went to the more secluded areas of the building. She was particularly fascinated with the kitchen, wishing the one in the 7th Heaven had been as spacious. She wondered if she could sneak a few of the expensive pots and pans into her bag.

She had no idea what time it was, but she figured it was about time to start heading back to her room, before Cloud felt the need to come looking for her. They had all picked rooms on the top floor so they would be together if anything were to happen, and her absence was bound to be noticed eventually.

Lightning flashed, temporarily illuminating her path. She moved carefully down the hallway, trying to figure out which way would lead her to a stairwell more quickly. She chose left, and proceeded cautiously once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

Suddenly she found herself pushed against the wall, locked in a strong grip. Panic rose within her. Someone had caught her, she was going to be punished for trespassing, maybe Sephiroth had tracked them down…

In the next instant, lightning struck again, revealing very familiar eyes to her gaze. "_God _Vincent…" she muttered. "You _scared _me." Even as she was admonishing him, she was eagerly pressing herself against him, bidding him to do something to make up for frightening her out of her wits.

She sighed with relief when he obliged, kissing her forcefully and pushing her even harder against the wall. His clawed hand trailed up and down her side, moving down to her hip and gripping her firmly, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him.

She briefly pulled away and smirked at him. He had scared her half to death, but the encounter was rapidly turning into the best greeting she'd ever gotten. But when he matched her smirk, her sense of comfort faded a little. He had quite the defeat to pay her back for, and she was _completely _at his mercy. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"You will have to forgive me for scaring you. It can be difficult to control oneself when feelings of lust decide to take over."

She tried to look disapproving. "Nice excuse."

His eyes glinted and she knew she had made a mistake. "Interesting how you can fault me for something you yourself are guilty of. You are as much a victim of lust as I am," he said devilishly.

She squared her jaw and knew she was trapped. Even if she somehow managed to come up with a decent explanation as to why that wasn't true, she knew there was no way that he'd believe her. "Lust is a sin you know…" Even as she said it she knew how pathetic it sounded, but it was the only thing her foggy mind could think of. And when she saw his smirk widen, she wished she had just kept her mouth shut altogether.

He leaned in close, his breath caressing her face as he spoke in a low dangerous whisper. "Then I hope I _burn_…"

Just as he was going in to kiss her again and she was contemplating the wide choice of rooms they had, footsteps sounded from around the corner.

Vincent pulled away and let her down from the wall, but with obvious reluctance. She knew if it had been up to him, he'd let the whole world see what they were doing. He was willing to keep it low-key for her sake.

"Tifa?" Cloud called from down the hallway.

"Yeah Cloud."

"Oh," he came closer and into better view, and she could see him eyeing Vincent with slight suspicion. Vincent responded with a smug look. "I found the circuit breaker but no luck. Though, I did find some lanterns that should work if you need to see something. I left one for you by your room."

Tifa smiled. "All right. Thanks."

His eyebrows knit together. "What happened to your skirt?"

"My skirt…?" Tifa looked down and squinted to see, but her eyes widened when she noticed the incriminating claw tears in the fabric from Vincent's impassioned grip. "O-oh! I umm… I tripped, and…"

Cloud's gaze traveled from her skirt to Vincent's metal appendage, and she could see the gears working in his head.

She pre-empted him before he could make any accusations. "And, um, I was falling, and um… Vincent caught me."

It was a sad, _sad _explanation, but it was better than admitting that she had rips in her clothing from a spontaneous make out session.

Vincent's demeanor grew more self-satisfied, but his face remained impassive. "I suppose I don't know my own strength."

Cloud stared for a moment. "Well anyway, let's go get some sleep."

Tifa didn't really know why she'd been expecting Cloud to leave her alone with Vincent, but she was annoyed nonetheless. She tried not to sulk as she disappeared into her room, not even bothering to say goodnight to either of the two.

She had shunned Cloud out of irritation, but she ignored Vincent on the assumption that she would see him later that night. While she was certainly flustered by his advances, she knew that they were not anything close to what he had planned for her when he went about exacting his revenge. She flopped down on her bed and took a deep breath.

She'd be hearing from him again.

OoOoOoOoO

Some immeasurable amount of time, Tifa couldn't sleep. She had let her lantern burn out, and stayed stretched out on the bed in her pajamas. Vincent hadn't come by, and she was growing impatient.

On the one hand, she was grateful for the fact that he hadn't shown up. After the way she had teased him last time, it was probably in her best interest to keep her distance. Not only that, but her resolve was wearing thin. The next time he tempted her, she would give in without a fight. Game or not, she was only delaying the inevitable.

But on the other hand, that was the precise reason that she was hoping he _would_ come to her room. The settings weren't exactly romantic, but she somehow couldn't picture that being much of a problem for either of them.

She decided to take control of the situation and head to his room herself. Morals and a strong sense of pride could only carry a girl so far.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she encountered Cloud in the hallway, perched in a chair. "What are you doing?" she asked incredulously, heart pounding from surprise.

He shrugged. "Apparently Yuffie didn't pick the lock so much as destroy it. I just wanted to stay out here and keep an eye on things."

Tifa frowned. Well that explained why Vincent hadn't come to her. Again, that was only for her benefit. She knew if he had his way, he would have sauntered into her room right in front of Cloud and hoped that he heard whatever they were doing.

"…Is something wrong?"

"N-no," she said quickly. She felt bad. She really wanted to tell him to go to bed, but she knew he thought he was doing the right thing. She didn't want to take that away from him. The last thing he needed was to think he had screwed something else up. "My uhh… my lantern burned out and I was going to look for another."

He handed her a new one with a tired smile that she returned. "Thanks. Goodnight Cloud."

She returned to her room and her bed and found sleep no less inescapable. She rolled over a few more times.

Maybe… maybe she could call him… just to say goodnight or something…

She leaned over so her phone was in reach, when it rang suddenly. She let it ring a couple of times, before giving in and picking it up. "…Hello?" she said, trying to keep her voice down.

"Hello."

That _voice_. She stifled a groan. How could he still manage to sound so intoxicating even while over a phone?

He was undeterred by her lack of a response. "It is a shame we could not see each other tonight."

She sighed and rolled onto her side. "Yeah…"

"But I was just curious… if you'd be interested in having a little fun."

She stiffened slightly at his words. Her mind was screaming, _no, say no, say goodnight and hang up, don't humor him_ but her foolish lips had already asked, "…Fun?"

"If you think you're up for it," he said, challenge evident in his voice.

"I'm up for it," she said a little too hastily, cursing herself for not keeping her ego in check. "But umm… what _kind _of fun exactly?" She had to ask, not that she didn't already have an idea of what he meant. A very, very _good_ idea…

"You'll find out…" he said, voice dropping so low that she almost had to strain to hear it.

She hesitated, weighing her options. His voice was one of the things she was weakest for, so weak that even the thought of even a mundane phone conversation seemed appealing. But he wasn't anywhere near her physically. In fact, he was in a separate room all together. What was the worst he could do? "…All right."

"You're interested then?"

She bit her lip. "Uh-huh."

He hummed in self-satisfaction on the other end and she could just picture the smirk on his face. "Good."

The silence thickened and she shifted with anxiety. She was tempted to ask him how they were going to start, but she decided to just remain passive and see where he was going with it.

"There are a few things that must be dealt with before we begin."

"Umm… okay."

"Can you follow orders?" She couldn't quite suppress a shudder as she pictured Vincent telling her about everything he wanted from her in that smooth, seductive voice. Her independent streak normally wouldn't be so keen on being told what to do, but in this situation… she didn't mind if he was the one calling the shots.

"Yeah…"

"Good."

He paused briefly, just to toy with her.

"Lock your door."

That reminded her that she had forgotten to secure the latch after she spoke with Cloud. But still, she was suspicious. "…Why?"

"It would be a shame if you were interrupted, and I would also enjoy your full attention."

She licked her lips, rising from the bed and locking her door before returning. "All right. It's locked."

There was another pause and she tried to picture him on the other end.

"…What are you wearing?"

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Wh-what?"

He didn't repeat it. They both knew what he had asked… she was just working up the nerve to answer.

"Umm… well. Just my pajamas and my robe."

"The red one?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

She blushed immediately. "_Yes_…" He just _had_ to bring that up didn't he? "The red one."

"Take it off. You won't be needing it."

She swallowed hard. She could just keep it on and say she'd taken it off, but if she tried to lie about it, he'd see through her immediately. Besides, she _was _getting a little warm…

She discarded the robe and let it fall, forgotten, to the floor. "Okay."

"Do you see the speakerphone button?"

She held her phone away so she could look at it. "Uh-huh…"

"Press it."

"Umm… why?" She didn't like the idea of anyone hearing what they were doing. "Do I have to?"

"Only if you think you might be wanting the use of both of your hands."

She pressed the button without further argument.

"One more thing."

She couldn't stop herself from growling in frustration. "Vincent…" she said, and it came out like a desperate and wanting plea. She had not planned that at _all_.

He chuckled faintly. "Hmm, are you getting impatient, Tifa?"

She scowled at the fact that he was teasing her. "Well it's just… taking _forever _to get to the um… fun." He still hadn't explicitly divulged what his intentions were, and she didn't want to be caught in an embarrassing assumption. Even so, it was getting harder and harder to believe that her assumption was incorrect.

"Haven't you ever heard that anticipation makes the experience more worthwhile?"

"Yeah, but…" But she thought if she had to go through any more 'anticipation' then she would hang up the phone, step across Cloud if she had to, and jump into Vincent's bed.

"If you are that… _eager _it would be cruel of me to make you wait any longer."

Tifa pursed her lips. Yes, she was incredibly anxious and he was only making it worse by taunting her. But she couldn't help being incredibly curious about what he was going to tell her to do.

He took her lack of a response as a sign to continue. "Now then… are you ready?"

She mulled it over. "Yes." No sense in denying it.

"…Are you certain?"

"_Yes_," she said, not bothering to mask that she was just as eager as he said she was, if not more.

"All right…" He trailed off and lapsed into silence.

She waited with bated breath. This was _killing _her. She was _so _ready, so damnably curious about what he was going to say, what he was going to tell her to do, if this situation would even be _nearly _enough to sate all the urges she'd felt for him since the very moment they had met.

Still he said nothing. He wasn't expecting _her _to start was he? She wasn't sure she'd even really know how to go about it, and she was shamelessly enjoying being submissive to all his demands. She'd know idea how to even _begin _to take some kind of control over what they were doing.

She was suddenly bombarded by vagrant thoughts of what exactly he was doing on the other end. She squirmed faintly and told herself to relax, stay focused, and most of all, keep her impatience in check. She heard Vincent take a breath as if to speak. She couldn't find the words to describe her relief. She was convinced she'd explode if he didn't get on with it in very short order.

"I…"

Even on one word, one syllable, one letter, he still managed to sound so unbelievably, enticingly sexy. She wanted it so badly now. She wanted to hear the dirtiest thoughts his mind had to offer, wanted to do whatever he asked of her and stop pretending that she hadn't been picturing this from the moment she'd considered calling him. Perhaps the anticipation really did make the experience more enjoyable. When he paused again she nearly swore aloud, but he didn't make her wait for long.

"I… I'm thinking of a number between one and ten."

She blinked in disbelief. What? _What_?

Her mouth was agape in shock, anger, and brutal disappointment. God, he had gotten her _bad_, and she had made it _so _easy for him.

"Do you know what it is?" This time the smugness was back in his voice.

Her jaw tensed and she dropped her voice to a dangerous level. "…I'll get you back for this."

He chuckled shortly. "I look forward to it."

"Good_night_, Vincent," she said, cursing his powers of manipulation and seduction, cursing her own foolishness and susceptibility to hormone.

"Goodnight Tifa," he said, clearly entertained. "And in case you were wondering, the number was six."

"I'll keep that in mind," she grumbled, hanging up the phone.

She groaned as she stretched on her bed. How could she have fallen for that?

She wanted to blame Cloud. If it hadn't been for him, this never would have happened. And not only that, she'd probably be with Vincent and very, very satisfied, instead of by herself and more sexually frustrated than ever.

But then she thought of Cloud, sitting outside in the hallway.

She walked outside to find him still in the chair, struggling to stay awake. "Cloud…" she said, touching his shoulder. "Go to bed."

"But…"

"It's all right," she said with assurance. "We'll be fine. It's okay."

He seemed reluctant, but he nodded, bid her goodnight and went off to his own room.

She flopped back on her bed and sighed. She still couldn't sleep, but for entirely different reasons. At least she didn't feel guilty about Cloud anymore. She needed her mind clear for more important and pressing matters…

…Like how in hell she was going to get Vincent back for _that _one.

That damn sexy _bastard._

XXXXXXXXX 

A.N.: It's 1:30 AM so I gotta head to bed but thanks to Linda and ladywinde for beta-ing! Hope this fic lived up to my vision and your expectations. Keep those reviews coming people, cause they make me very happy and productive. : )


	10. Buckle Up

_I'll get you back for this._

Oh, she had said it. And yes, she had absolutely meant it. But as the days ticked by, Tifa's prospects for exacting revenge on Vincent for that cruel, _cruel _trick he had played on her were becoming increasingly bleak.

Ever since the party had left that creepy deserted hotel, it had just been one thing after another: Getting back to Nibelheim, passing through the mountains to get back to Rocket Town, encountering the President and stealing a plane, being shot _down_ in that plane and drifting in the ocean, embarking on a mad hunt for something called a keystone…

Nibelheim, at least, had been pretty uneventful. Tifa had already gotten over the initial shock of seeing her supposedly-burned-to-the-ground hometown just as it used to be, so on the second visit the scenery had lost some of its interest. She still felt a certain nostalgia in the air, seeing the well and her house and her piano, but it had all become a bit strange and tainted for her.

Instead, her mind was filled with memories of the last time they'd passed through—when they'd found Vincent in the basement of that dark and dilapidated old mansion. Who'd have known that the 'thing' that Hojo had locked in the cellar would be a man?

And not just any man, of course. Tifa hadn't expected any experiment of Hojo's to… to look like Vincent. She couldn't _quite_ say that there was immediate attraction—at first she felt sympathy for the man, having been hidden away in a coffin for so many years, but the sympathy swiftly faded into intimidation when those intense red eyes met with hers. The attraction came shortly afterwards.

Yes, her relationship with Vincent certainly developed in an interesting way. To be sure, she found him incredibly good-looking right off the bat. However, it was more of a childish crush, a fantasy that would never make it to reality, something too good to be true and therefore couldn't be pursued. But she quickly came to realize that Vincent was _not _a work of art to be admired from afar and quietly appreciated. He was a real man with real feelings and real _needs_—feelings and needs that she seemed to share. How suddenly he had turned her world upside down with just the faintest brush of his fingertips over her thigh, while she squirmed awkwardly in his lap, entirely convinced that he and everyone else in the car could hear all the dirty thoughts racing through her head.

And then that game ensued—that crazy, crazy game that she was rapidly losing her head in. She had _sworn _to get him back, but unfortunately it was at exactly the wrong moment, right when the team had been far too busy to allow for her to indulge in such frivolous things. It was so painfully ironic: there had been times when she'd tried to avoid him like the plague, lest she fall into yet _another _situation that she was too hormone-crazed to get herself out of, and now, when she _really_ wanted to, it was almost impossible to get him alone.

She would have accused him of planning it that way, if he were in any way capable of doing that sort of thing. But, at any rate, her threat of getting him back was looking more and more foolish with every night that passed while her brain hadn't spawned even the barest trace of an idea for a comeback.

There _had_ been a few lame attempts over the past couple of weeks, but they couldn't really be labeled as any kind of success or victory. One notable incident involved her 'accidentally' leaving a pair of her panties in his room when she had done everyone's laundry. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd thought that was going to accomplish, but it was something. However, she regretted her actions very soon afterwards, when she stepped out of the bathroom after a shower—thankfully wearing at _least _a towel—to find him standing in the hallway with the offending garment in hand.

It had taken a bit of coaxing to get it back from him.

"I wonder," he said, eyebrow raised, concealing his amusement with a serious expression, "Do these belong to you?"

_There was something oh so bad about seeing the delicate fabric in the grip of his very sharp and dangerous claw. She pulled the towel tighter around her body and tried to settle the butterflies in her stomach, unable to believe she'd gotten herself into this one. "Yes, they are," she admitted, stepping closer. "And if you're through with them I'll take them ba—"_

But as she reached her hand out to slip the cloth from his fingers, he abruptly moved his hand away.

"_I should think not," he chastised. "If you were so careless as to leave these in my room, then I suppose it is your loss," He took a moment to look them over. "I must say, I admire your taste."_

She blushed a little, resolve fading fast, and made yet another grab that he easily out-maneuvered. "But…" she pouted, "What if I need them?" She sighed to herself. Apparently looking pathetic wasn't going to help her. "You know…" she said softly, moving close enough to press herself against him, simply PRAYING that she had secured that towel well enough, "For later…"

That got a smirk out of him. His free hand came to encircle her waist and pull her closer, then wandering a bit too low to be considered innocent. "They would only serve to get in my way," he whispered seductively, still not QUITE distracted enough to allow her to take her underwear back.

"But…" she protested yet again, placing a hand on the arm that still held the garment just out of her reach, "Haven't you ever heard that anticipation makes the experience more worthwhile?" she said with a teasing note in her voice, rather eager to throw his words back in his face.

"Yes, and it is quite true. But only so much anticipation can be endured before you begin to…" His gripped tightened and her breath hitched momentarily, "…test my patience…" His voice had dropped so low that she could feel it reverberating in both of their bodies.

She swallowed, remembering her task. "Well, then, I'll just have to…" She leaned in close, almost close enough for their lips to touch, the promise of a kiss heavily implicit, fingertips trailing down his arm to retrieve the lost clothing while she had his attention sufficiently diverted, "…test your patience," And just as he moved in to close the scant distance between them, she pulled away, impish grin playing across her face, and slipped out of his grasp, disappearing into her room before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

No, she definitely wouldn't categorize that as a win. At least she had gotten her panties back—she shuddered to think what it would be like if Vincent were caught walking around with telltale lace sticking out of his pocket.

But maybe things would be different now. The Gold Saucer definitely invoked feelings of mischief in its visitors. Maybe the bright lights and playful, colorful characters would spark some kind of inspiration within her. At any rate, it would be nice to relax for a bit. The 'horror' themed décor wasn't exactly soothing, but the bed was comfortable and it had been _far _too long since they'd stayed somewhere with a decent shower.

Before she could further contemplate her cozy bed or a hot shower, she heard a knock on the door. She should have known. There was the perfect opportunity to exact her revenge, and she was still agonizingly devoid of any semblance of a plan. She stopped a moment to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes and take a deep breath before answering the door. She was actually a little surprised to realize just how happy she was to see him there.

Vincent looked happy too, but it was only from all the time she spent with him that she was able to tell. To the untrained eye, he looked as emotionless as ever. "Would you be interested in going out for a while?"

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Yes, I would," But first she wanted to change into something nice. "Meet me downstairs in ten minutes?" She suddenly caught sight of her hair in the mirror. "…Make it twenty."

He nodded. "Twenty minutes it is then."

She just hoped twenty minutes was long enough to make herself look as nice as she really wanted to look. It was odd—even after all this time, she still felt a little nervous with a distinct thrill of giddy excitement about going out with him. Perhaps it was just the very idea of being in the Gold Saucer, of all places. It was flattering to know just how far out of his element he would go for her: something about Vincent and happy dancing moogles just didn't seem to go together.

Twenty minutes later, she was glad she had once again allowed Aeris to talk her into going shopping. The outfit wasn't much, especially not after some of the things Vincent had seen her in, but Tifa was relatively pleased that the fabric was slit just high enough on the sides, plunged just low enough in the front, and hugged her curves just tightly enough in the middle. All in all, she felt she looked good enough to be seen in public with the most attractive man she'd ever had the pleasure of spending time with. It did her self-esteem some good to receive attention from someone like Vincent, so she may have been a _little _anxious to hit the attractions and really flaunt her date.

Yes, there was a definite spring in her step as she strode into the lobby to find him waiting for her, a swell of elation in her heart as he affectionately put an arm around her and guided her outside…

Tifa tried not to giggle when her assumption about Vincent and a theme park being mismatched proved to be completely spot on. He seemed so hopelessly lost, eyes traveling from cotton candy stands to roller coasters to underpaid employees dressed as wide-eyed, cheerful characters. His plight was truly comical, but she felt a pang of compassion knowing that he undoubtedly was only doing this for her.

"So," she said, grinning from a combination of amusement and appreciation, "Where do you want to go first?"

He masked a sigh. "I haven't the slightest idea."

If she were to be honest, she didn't really have a clue what she wanted to do either. If she were on a typical outing at the Gold Saucer, she would probably eat a lot of overpriced, poorly prepared junk food and hop on the nearest thrill ride. But a date with Vincent was very different than her everyday excursions—she would have to think of something more appropriately romantic.

She squeezed his hand. "Why don't we just walk around for a while, and maybe we'll find something?"

He seemed to find the idea agreeable and somewhat of a relief, so the two began their stroll through the park.

She knew better than to be disappointed that their wandering was mostly uneventful. It wasn't exactly surprising to her that Vincent didn't find much that interested him, though she struggled to resist the urge to get him to try his luck in the shooting gallery. Something told her that he wouldn't appreciate it. She had to admit, even she found the Gold Saucer a little overwhelming at times.

But still, Tifa had mixed feelings about the silence that persisted between them throughout the evening. On one hand, the ringing in her ears was telling her that even if they'd been trying to talk to one another, their words would be lost among the loud music and the shouts of happy children. But the sun had set and the kids and parents had all gone home. The park was certainly a much different place at night. Softer lights and music replaced the harsh ones that were ubiquitous during the day. The atmosphere was calmer, more toned tone—implicitly more _adult_. That aspect reminded her that a lack of words was common between her and Vincent—they had a tendency to communicate in the… non-verbal sense.

It was a method she was all-too-happy to indulge in when a crowded room and prying eyes only allowed for subtleties, but now that she finally had him alone, she wouldn't mind really making the most of it.

"Hey Vincent, how about a ride on the gondola?"

But she was as tapped for conversation as she was for revenge, right when she had the perfect opportunity for both. She settled into her seat in the sky car, briefly reflecting on when she'd been there before with Cloud. Then, she had felt too awkward to look at him, instead staring out the window at the chocobo races and fireworks. But with Vincent, she couldn't even stop herself from gazing into his eyes—and she only felt awkward realizing she was so far away when she could on the other bench, next to Vincent. She promptly remedied the situation.

It felt so right snuggling up next to him, feeling his arms around her. She hadn't noticed how chilly she'd gotten until she realized how much warmer she felt being close to him. Of course, it was but a reminder that she was once again crossing over into dangerous territory. As she got more physical with him, she stood less of a chance of starting a conversation, let alone coming up with some kind of very-justified payback.

"So…" she said, idly tracing patterns on his chest with her finger, before abruptly pulling away as she became aware of what she was doing. "We haven't talked in a while," It was possibly one of the most unspectacular things she could have come up with, but she was grateful for anything at all.

He shifted a bit in his seat. "Yes. I have not seen much of you since you decided to leave… something of yours in my bed," he said with a hint of amusement.

Tifa cleared her throat. "Well, I, uhhh—"

"And how very unkind of you to take it back after leaving it for me," he chided.

"Unkind of _me?_" she asked, blushing indignantly. "You can hardly talk after what you did to _me _when we were staying in that abandoned hotel," she accused.

"Perhaps I would apologize if I didn't know you enjoyed it."

The smirk was evident in his tone—she didn't dare trying to meet his eyes. She squared her jaw, pretending she hadn't heard him. "I'll get you back for that."

"So you have been threatening," he said, sounding unfazed.

"I will," she repeated, "…I'll think of something." She was sounding less and less convincing as time went on, even to herself.

"Hmm," His claw flexed just barely around her waist. "And if you don't?"

Tifa blinked slowly. How had that question never occurred to her? It had all been very simple, even from the beginning when it had all seemed so terribly complicated. Full of lust and danger, but easy enough to understand—back and forth, just like a tango. He would make a move, and she would counter. He would counter her counter and the whole thing would start over again.

But she had never thought about what it would mean if their little game were to end. Even if she _did _manage to come up with some brilliant way to get him back, they couldn't keep going the way they were forever. There would have to be come kind of conclusion. It was clear enough, of course, what the obvious outcome would be. The teasing façade would have to fall, and they would be left in the wake of the lustful feelings they hadn't been fighting so much as dancing around. They would succumb to what was so inevitable for two people so full of passion.

However, it was never really that simple. A game was a game but a relationship was a whole world of complications that couldn't be infiltrated without a lot of care. And was a relationship even in store for them, or would they merely be embarking on something that was perhaps fulfilling for the moment, but far more hurtful in the end when the heart wasn't in sync with what the rest of the body was experiencing?

Thoughts like that made her wonder if it wouldn't be better to drop the whole idea altogether. But even that concept put a bad feeling in her stomach. Vincent had been a major facet in her life for a while now, even if she didn't quite know exactly what their relationship was. The thought of going back to being friends after everything that had happened just didn't seem right.

She finally risked looking at his, eyes wide and searching, wondering if he had intended to make her mind race so intensely with his simple question. "I…"

She was so uncertain about so many things. But as she caught the look of longing in his eyes, she knew she wanted him. Not just as a satisfaction of desire, but as the man she'd gotten to know over the passing weeks. That much she was sure about. Timing, however, made her doubtful. Timing, among other things. But it had been a very long while since logic told her what to do.

The movement of the gondola suddenly halted and the doors opened with a hiss, jarring her from her reverie. She and Vincent stepped out of the car and back into the rapidly emptying theme park, intending to head back to the hotel.

Their silence had resumed as quickly as it had left. This time, she didn't mind as much. She needed to think. Before she even had a chance to comprehend it, they were standing outside the door to her room. "Vincent…" she murmured leaning into him, silently begging him to give her what she wanted. He swiftly obliged with a kiss, pulling her closer.

All of a sudden footsteps sounded behind them and her eyes flew open in time to see Cloud and Aeris coming up the hallway to their rooms. She stepped out of Vincent's embrace before they were seen. Her eyes briefly met with Cloud's as he walked into his room and shut the door.

Tifa looked at Vincent and an unspoken message passed between them. He nodded, mostly to himself. "Good night, Tifa." And all too soon he was gone.

Aeris lingered, sporting a strange look on her face. "Did… did you know Cloud has really bad motion sickness?"

Tifa smiled slightly. That clearly wasn't what Aeris had wanted to say. "Yeah, I did."

Aeris's grimace intensified. "Well, I didn't, and I took him on the rollercoaster. Let's just say that could have gone a lot better."

"Yeah, I…" Tifa sighed, "Yeah, I bet. I don't even know why he'd agree to go on something like that."

Aeris shrugged. "I think he only wanted to come out with me tonight because he wanted to talk to me about you."

"…Talk about _me_?"

"He didn't… But I know he wanted to."

Tifa knit her eyebrows, not sure what to say.

Aeris cleared her throat. "Anyway, I won't keep you. I'll go to bed so you can go off and do whatever it is you're planning on doing, like I don't know."

"I—"

"G'night!"

Tifa looked around the empty hallway and at the door to her room. She knew she wasn't going in there. Not yet. She waited a few moments before striding off to her destination. She was more than a little apprehensive standing outside his door, and it was a minute or so before she gathered the courage to knock. She hoped he wasn't asleep, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't be too upset with her for waking him if that happened to be the case.

It felt like forever before he opened the door, and when he did, no words passed between them, he just silently moved out of the way and let her inside. She cautiously sat on the bed, not sure where else to go, wringing her hands.

"Cloud… can we talk?"

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**A.N.: Dun dun dun. It's so not like me to end a chapter that way, but oh well. I'm just happy this chapter is finished, even though it actually ended sooner than I had intended. But I think it works pretty well this way. And I apologize for any mistake because it is 3:30 AM (Delayed opening in school tomorrow!)**

**So anyway, I got this done tonight as a Valentine's gift to all of you : ) Please read and leave lovely reviews! I do miss them so and am so very appreciative of the wonderful feedback I get for this fic.**

**And I PROMISE no more 4-month lapses in writing XD No worries.**


	11. Traffic Ahead

**A.N.: I'll apologize in advance for a few things. 1. How long it took for this chapter to be finished (School sucks and my motivation is kinda shot.) 2. The length of this chapter (it was originally going to be combined into the chapter after this one) 3. This chapter is pretty much devoid of VinTiness, but it's an extremely important chapter that I was honestly putting off writing. 4. The chapter after this one will be the last, unless something totally insane happens.**

**That said, I hope you read, enjoy and review this chapter : ) All of you are just so awesome and I can't even thank you enough for all the wonderful feedback you've given me. You're the people I do this for.**

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A part of her was a little indignant that _she_ was the one who had to talk to _him _when it was he who seemed to think that something even needed to be discussed at all. "Well, I mean…" She paused, carefully considering her words—even _now_ she was still walking on eggshells with him. She stared awkwardly at her feet and couldn't help but wonder if it was really such a good idea coming to speak with him in the first place. "…Look, why don't we go for a walk or something?" She was stalling and they both knew it but, to her relief, he nodded.

By then the park was completely deserted, save for a few open attractions and some scattered tourists, mostly couples tucked away in dark, private corners. The silence was practically unbearable. Her hands trembled slightly with the overwhelming knowledge that something needed to be said, no matter how hard it was for her to find the words.

When she had been in the same situation with Vincent, the lack of conversation was no doubt awkward, but she certainly hadn't found it unpleasant. She just felt… comfortable. No words were necessary.

They stopped in front of the gondola and she raised an eyebrow, wondering if he agreed. He nodded absently and they stepped inside.

Once again Tifa couldn't help but be reminded of how she'd been in the same place with Vincent only a short while ago. And the especially funny thing was that when she was with Vincent, she had been reflecting about the time she'd spent with Cloud.

She was surer than ever that something needed to be done about the situation, but unfortunately there was no way she would be rewarded with a solution without working for it. She bit her lip and steeled herself to go through with talking to Cloud, noticing him shifting with discomfiture in his seat.

"We don't have to talk if you don't wan—"

"—Tifa, what's…?" he said suddenly, his abrupt interruption catching her off guard. But just as soon as he had butt in he resumed his silence. When she finally gathered the nerve to lift her gaze from the floor, she found him sporting an expression of intense focus and frustration. He looked just as lost as she felt.

Immediately the slight annoyance she had felt towards him over the past few weeks diminished, and she sympathized with his confusion. She waited patiently for him to continue.

"What's been going on lately?" he said at last, eyes meeting hers and searching her face.

Tifa swallowed hard. Oh, where to begin? "Going on with what?" she asked, sidestepping the question, if only for a moment.

"With you and Vincent," he said with both conviction and uncertainty. He wasn't dancing around the issue as much as she'd hoped he would.

"…You really want to know?" she asked, posing arbitrary questions to stall for as much time as she possibly could. In some odd way, she was also hoping that such a vague and faintly foreboding inquiry would deter him from pursuing answers.

But to her surprise and slight dismay, he nodded. Though, once she thought about it, she should have seen it coming. Cloud wasn't one to give up too easily once he had his mind made up.

"Only if you want to tell me," he added after a moment, most likely taking her silence for apprehension.

Suddenly she felt like she wanted to ask _him _some questions. For starters, she wondered what damn business it was of _his_ what was going on with her and Vincent. Also, she wanted to ask him why, instead of confronting her about this sooner, he had to interfere and annoy her to the point that _she_ actually sought _him_ out, when he was the one who seemed to be having the problem.

And, although it nearly killed her to admit it, a petty, nagging voice in the back of her mind wanted to ask him if he had any feelings for Aeris. When he and Aeris first started spending time together, Tifa had thought that Aeris was the one she'd have to worry about. But she had long since established the fact that Aeris didn't harbor romantic feelings for Cloud. Now Tifa just had to speculate if the feeling—or lack thereof—was at all mutual. She knew that it was no more her right to wonder about him than it was for him to wonder about her, but she couldn't deny that when she had seen the two of them returning from their outing that evening, she had felt an unmistakable pang of jealousy, left over from years of unresolved feelings that couldn't be put to rest as easily as she had deluded herself into thinking.

In fact, that was really what it all boiled down to. She simply didn't know where she stood. Sure, she didn't want to divulge to Cloud what had been going on because it was personal and private, but mostly… she just didn't know what to tell him. What really _was _going on with her and Vincent?

Her attraction to Vincent had always been irrefutable. That was something she definitely couldn't deny. And her friendship with him was something she deeply valued, prevalent even through teasing games and unadulterated lust. But did she love him? A part of her wondered if it even mattered. Maybe this time love was just something she needed to figure out as she went along. Maybe she wanted to 'act now and think later' for a change.

But where did that leave her with Cloud? It all seemed so ridiculous, now that he was actually asking her to explain to him what she had always had trouble verbalizing. How long had she been waiting for the chance to tell Cloud how she felt about him? Long enough for her to question her feelings entirely, it would seem. Now she almost wanted to tell him that she _had _loved him once, but someone else had already stepped in and filled that void for her. But she wasn't even sure if that was completely the truth either.

Tifa had never imagined she would be faced with such a dilemma. Was it in her better interest to hold on to the hope of a love that might be fading, or pursue the potential of a love that was new and exciting, but equally risky? She was coming to the painful realization that even if she managed to be certain about _her _feelings, there was no way she could be sure about anyone else's. A decision would only get her so far, but it was a step in the right direction.

She looked at Cloud helplessly. She knew he wasn't asking her to choose, but, in the end, that was what this conversation truly meant for her. She just wished she had an answer for him.

"I don't mind telling you," she said at last, letting her eyes meet his with a slight smile, "But what exactly do you want to know?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment. "Are you two… together?" he said at last, and when he finally looked up at her, she wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes.

She couldn't figure out for sure what exactly he meant by 'together,' but she realized that, whether in the physical sense or the romantic one, she and Vincent technically_ weren't _together, no matter how eager she was to change that. The idea of that struck her—there she was, trying to make a big decision over a relationship that, by normal standards, was too confusing and complex to even be considered a real relationship.

Tifa wasn't sure how long she'd been staring at Cloud without giving him an answer, but she was at a total loss for what to say. No, she and Vincent were not dating. No, she and Vincent were not sleeping together. They were involved in a convoluted and complicated liaison she couldn't even begin to _imagine _attempting to explain to Cloud. Both 'yes' and 'no' were heavy with finality, and she knew neither one was the right answer. And something told her that 'kind of' or 'not really' wouldn't be what he wanted to hear either.

"Cloud…" she said soothingly, seeking the only solution she could possibly envision, "…What does it really matter?"

When he looked completely stumped, she felt a bit of satisfaction in posing _him_ with a question that he couldn't find a response for.

"Cloud?" she repeated once she was certain that he had given up on answering her.

"I don't know," he said, and she was surprised that he had actually said something. His brows knit together in frustration. "I don't know. But Tifa… I just feel like I'm losing you."

"_Losing me_?" she said, her incredulity sounding a bit more insulting than she had intended. She hadn't meant to make his concern seem absurd, she was just honestly surprised to hear what had been bothering him. "Cloud," she began, a bit gentler this time, "Why would you be losing me?" She didn't even know she was his to lose.

"I don't _know_," he said again, distress working its way into his voice. Tifa couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him get emotional like this. "But now sometimes when I look for you, I can't find you, and I don't know where you are or when you're coming back or _if _you're coming back…"

Her pessimism had never allowed her to believe that his sudden interest in her was sparked by romantic jealousy because of Vincent, but now that Cloud had voiced his thoughts, she could see that her gut feeling had been right. To her slight astonishment, she wasn't disappointed.

In fact, his distress was something she could completely sympathize with. Hadn't she been the same way with him over Aeris? She _knew _that Aeris wouldn't be a romantic rival, and yet she had still been bothered by how much time Cloud had been spending with her. She had lost him for years—she was afraid it would happen again, in whatever capacity. What a hypocrite she'd been.

Not knowing what else to do, Tifa crossed the gondola car and sat next to Cloud, intertwining her fingers with his. "Cloud, just because…" She didn't really know what to say to him, so she said what she would have wanted to hear. "…Just because I'm not with you all the time, or if I'm… spending time with Vincent, or anyone else…" She squeezed his hand and looked earnestly into his eyes. "It doesn't mean I'm going anywhere… because I'm not. I'm always going to be here for you when you need me."

"I know," he said, squeezing back slightly. "But Tifa…" He looked away briefly with a heavy sigh. "…Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Tifa smiled in slight embarrassment at herself. She had _completely _underestimated him. He was genuinely concerned for her well-being and their friendship, and she had been far too quick to pass it off as petty jealousy. "No," she admitted, "I don't," She turned to him, smile widening into a faint smirk. "But that's what I have you for, right? You'll be looking out for me too." At this he brightened up considerably, and she grinned. He just wanted to feel needed as well.

The tram glided to a halt and their hands remained linked as they stepped outside. It felt right, Tifa realized, to be with him like that, hand-in-hand—not as shy young lovers, as she'd once hoped for, but as faithful friends who constantly supported one another, as she realized she'd needed all along. It was okay now. She was ready to go back to her room and her budding relationship with Vincent, and face the day head on.

As they passed the Chocobo races, Tifa caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure in the distance. She knit her eyebrows in confusion and squinted to get a better look.

"…Is that Cait Sith?"

OoOoOoOoO

Tifa could hardly believe that after all that work the Keystone had been stolen from them, but she wasn't particularly worried. She and Cloud had all their friends by their side, and they'd get through it no matter what. Cloud had said they'd deal with it in the morning, and at any rate, all she wanted to do at the moment was go to bed.

On the way back to her room, however, she bumped quite literally into Aeris. After recovering from the surprise, Tifa looked at her quizzically. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yeah," Aeris said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "How'd it go?"

"It went…" she paused, thoughtfully reflecting on how at ease she felt with her relationship at Cloud now, "Very well," she concluded with an affirming not.

"Oh good, I knew it would," Aeris replied, sounding pleased and strangely relieved. "I knew things would be okay if you just talked it out. You guys are just too important to each other to let things get ruined over a lack of communication."

Tifa had to admit she agreed.

"I'm glad," Aeris went on. "I like to know everyone's… taken care of." At this point her voice seemed oddly sullen and mysterious.

"…Taken care of?" Once again Tifa had the sense that Aeris wasn't telling her something, and like most times, she was pretty sure pressing the issue wouldn't get her anywhere.

"Well, I can't always be expected to look after you guys!" she hastily threw in with a laugh that sounded a bit too forced. "You're going to have to start taking care of yourselves!"

Tifa didn't know why, but she thought the best thing she could do for Aeris was to simply smile and agree. "Of course," she said with a benign grin. "We're all looking out for each other."

Aeris smiled sadly, and before Tifa knew it, she was wrapped in a tight embrace. "Don't ever forget who your friends are," Aeris advised, and Tifa returned the hug. "They're all you've got."

When they pulled away, Tifa nodded silently, not knowing what else to say, not quite understanding why it felt like Aeris was trying to say goodbye.

"G'night Tifa. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," Tifa said quietly to Aeris's retreating form.

Tifa took a moment to absorb the silence, reveling in the feeling that some of the loose ends in her life were neatly tying up. The bigger picture—Sephiroth, ShinRa—was still weighing heavily on her, but she felt that now that she had achieved some harmony in her personal life, those impending obstacles seemed a lot easier to manage. She had friends on her side, and maybe someone who was something more.

She eyed the door to Vincent's room carefully. Would he be waiting for her in there? She shook her head to clear her of the pleasurable thought, reminding herself that this was neither the time nor the place, despite the fact that she was more ready than ever.

With slight reluctance and a weary body and mind, she hauled herself off to her room and promptly fell asleep, not even bothering to change out of her dress.

In her slumber she dreamt of friends both old and unfamiliar. That comfort faded into conflict, and the sacrifices that had to be made to start new beginnings. When the chaos subsided and her visions turned peaceful again, Tifa imagined what it would be like to have one night alone with Vincent Valentine.

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**A.N.: Hope that wasn't too painful for you. Now review, review, review!**

**I mean ummm… please:D**


	12. Cruise Control

**A.N.: Okay, so I lied. This did not end up being the last chapter. It was originally **_**supposed **_**to be, but it was already running kind of long and there were certain parts I wanted to dedicate more time to without worrying about making the chapter drag on. So, it got split up. I think it will work out better that way, because I was also worried about the ending seeming too abrupt. Hopefully, this will allow for a smoother transition. Anyway, I'm done with my rambling, so read away!**

** Also, I don't know if anyone saw this chapter when it was first uploaded, but when I first posted the chapter, I didn't get the email alert, and I always get paranoid about posting when the alerts aren't working (don't ask) so I took it down a few minutes later. Sorry if that caused any confusion!  
**

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Tifa awoke that morning somewhat grudgingly, only to be startled by her surroundings. At any other time of the day, the Ghost Hotel's theme fell pathetically short of the 'spooky' effect the proprietors were no doubt hoping to accomplish, but waking up to find a skeleton, albeit a poorly crafted one, next to one's bed was downright frightening. Tifa sat up and shook her head, clearing her mind of the mild shock and taking a moment to get her bearings. She was relieved to find that the unpleasant feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach over the past couple of months had subsided considerably. It had seemed like a foreboding prospect at the time, but now she felt confident that having a talk with Cloud was the right decision. It had been the nudge she needed. Unfortunately, there were still hurdles in her path.

Being sure that her feelings were in her best interest was one challenge, but that certainty didn't supply her with any more perspective on her situation. The burden of dealing with the present had been replaced with the more cumbersome trouble of approaching the future. So she was okay with the relationship she had with Cloud. So she was interested in pursuing something with Vincent. But she could only guess at how _he_ felt about it. She hadn't _really _any reason to assume he was only after her for a one-night victory, but she had been around enough drunken, single-minded bar patrons to be mistrusting of men's intentions.

She didn't want to be doubtful—she was sure of that much. She didn't _want_ to think that, after spending so long in such scintillating entanglement, everything could be proven to be in vain in one evening. Although a part of her had to admit that said evening would be _some _consolation, her heart was of too delicate a nature to take any real pleasure or solace in it. Despite what she had possibly been letting on recently, she simply wasn't that kind of girl. She admittedly had grown out of dreams about her knight in shining armor, but love—maybe not the cliché, 'true love' she used to think about as a young girl, but love nonetheless—was something she still aspired to.

If that were out of the question for the moment, which was certainly understandable, then _some _kind of emotional bond would be nice.

Tifa sighed and threw the covers aside, only to sigh louder when she remembered she was still wearing her now-heavily-wrinkled dress. It had definitely seen better days, but at least it had served it purpose. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, about to head to the bathroom to deal with her even more mussed hair, when the phone rang.

"Hello," she mumbled, voice still heavy with sleep.

"Tifa? It's Cloud, where are you?"

"Huh?"

"We're all in the lobby. You're late."

"What? What time is…?" she muttered, rummaging around the nightstand for a clock.

"It's almost seven. I wanted everyone here at six thirty."

Tifa, in her haste to sleep last night, had forgotten to set an alarm. "'Kay, I'll be right there," she said, still sounding a bit like she had just woken up.

"All right—and hey, do you know where Vincent is?"

"Why, he hasn't shown up either?" She frowned. She and Vincent were _both _late coming down? _That _wasn't going to look suspicious. She wasn't sure if it made her feel better or worse that any such suspicions would, at least in this case, be entirely misconstrued.

"No. He didn't answer his phone or the door. I figured you'd know where he was."

Tifa glared on her end of the phone, not really expecting veiled mockery from Cloud but not totally putting it past him either. "Well, I haven't seen him recently," she said, vaguely worrying that the slight irritation in her voice bore a strong resemblance to guilt. "Now let me go so I can get ready."

She could just picture him shrugging on the other end. "All right. See you. Don't be long."

Tifa hung up, unable to quell her curiosity of where Vincent really _had _gotten to. Of course, it wouldn't surprise her if he had simply vanished into thin air. He didn't seem entirely incapable of such a feat. She crawled out of bed, grumbling at herself for oversleeping, before slipping off her dress and tossing it into her suitcase, silently lamenting how many wrinkles were in her dress's future.

Mere minutes later, Tifa stood fully dressed, impatiently tapping the down button on the elevator. "Come on, come on…" she huffed under her breath, pressing it extra hard for good measure.

"Doing that will not make it arrive any faster," said a smooth voice behind her.

She abruptly pulled her hand away in embarrassment as Vincent approached. "It doesn't hurt," she countered, recovering quickly.

"I suppose not," he said, blatantly humoring her.

"Where have you been?" she asked after a brief silence, in which the elevator _still _hadn't arrived. "Cloud's been wondering why you're late too. He assumed _I'd_ know where you were…" She added that last part in a very soft voice, kind of hoping he wouldn't hear.

"Did he?" he asked with sly amusement, moving to stand close to her at the sealed doors.

She resumed tapping the down button to distract herself, pretending she hadn't heard him.

"Was your talk with him… successful?" he asked. She noted with slight giddiness that he had actually made quite a poor attempt to disguise his interest.

"Yes," she said with satisfaction. "Very successful."

"Hmm," he said, sounding a bit displeased by her tone. "…It was a while before you returned to your room."

She pursed her lips, once again forced to wonder if he had been waiting for her to return to him last night. But that fleeting concern passed, and she couldn't help but bite back a pleased grin. He was failing utterly to mask his jealousy over the fact that she'd been in Cloud's room for what he considered to be an unacceptably long amount of time. Either he was getting worse at concealing his emotions around her, or she was getting better at reading them. She came to the conclusion that she liked both possibilities.

Feeling a little mischievous over that development, she decided to tease him. Clearing her throat with feigned embarrassment, she averted her eyes and shuffled her feet. "Well, umm… you know…" she stuttered awkwardly, "We were sitting there, ummm, talking… and… one thing led to another…" she trailed off, trying to watch his reaction through the corner of her eyes.

When he failed to respond right away, she looked up to see him sporting a mildly shocked and disturbed expression, while the elevator's 'ding' sounded through the silence. At this she had to give in to her urge to smile gleefully. "Gotcha," she taunted, poking him playfully in the side, twinkle in her eye, before stepping through the open doors. When had he gotten so gullible anyway?

The fact that he merely 'hmphed' instead of retaliating with a clever response confirmed for her that she did, in some capacity, have him going there for a moment. She was afraid she'd suffocate on her own smugness as it filled the confined space of the elevator.

Immediately after, however, she became aware of his close proximity to her and was swiftly reminded of the situation they had been in the previous night. Maybe if she had continued into Vincent's room instead of taking a side trip to Cloud's, people would be correct in any assumptions they had about the two arriving late the next morning…

And as soon as _that _thought entered her mind, she was also taken back to the last time they had shared an elevator. She flushed as those memories flooded back. How cornered she had felt, how trapped, and yet she had secretly been enjoying every minute of it, sorely tempted to press the emergency button and beg him to continue what he'd been trying to start. In fact, if she weren't so late, she wouldn't have any qualms about doing it _now_…

He broke her from her reverie by moving in front of her, closing the distance between them and speedily turning her daydream into reality, the déjà vu becoming overwhelming. He stopped just short of pressing his lips to hers, and she flushed with embarrassment, having let her eyes fall closed in anticipation, only to open them to the smirk on his face. She squared her jaw and tried to look more annoyed than she admittedly felt.

"Hmm," he mused, arms braced against the wall on either side of her, effectively ensnaring her as she squirmed, ever his helpless victim, "Doesn't this seem familiar?"

She cursed him for once again reading her mind, and, as always, doing so in a most compromising situation.

"…I'm not sure what you're talking about," she lied unconvincingly.

"Don't tell me you don't remember…" He said, once again pressing himself close and leaning in. This time she wasn't foolish enough to expect a kiss, even if she'd still been hoping for one. His clawed hand slid down to her hip. "You thought you could tease me over dinner. I certainly couldn't have let you get away with that, now could I?"

She merely glared in response, remembering how he had pulled that victory out from under her so unexpectedly when she thought she had it in the bag.

His smirk widened. "You _do _remember."

She huffed, wondering where he was going with this and becoming flustered by the impression that she wasn't going to like it. "Of course I do," she muttered, feeling defeated for admitting it.

"Then I suppose you remember how eager you were to make _me _pay for that."

She'd been avoiding his eyes until then, but she took that moment to stare at him defiantly, finally realizing what he was getting at. It really was too early in the morning for him to tease her about not yet getting due revenge for his last dirty trick. "I already _told_ you I'd think of something," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I recall," he said, sounding utterly unfazed. He paused briefly, and she knew he did it just to get to her, allowing her frustration to intensify in the silence before he further provoked her. "Haven't run out of ideas, have you?"

"…What if I have?" she asked quietly before she could stop herself, gaze softening as she forced both of them to deal with the gravity of their situation. "What then?"

He instantly picked up on her change of mood, and at the moment she didn't find his powers of perception worth complaining about. "I had thought that it was obvious," he said just as softly, gazing down at her and trying to meet her downcast eyes.

When she looked up at last, she noted that, despite his serious tone, the light smirk hadn't left his face. To her surprise, that set her on edge, heart hammering and all doubts and insecurities rising to the surface. "And that's what you've wanted all along? That's _all _you've wanted?" she said, shocked at how hurt she had sounded and how terribly accusing her hushed questioning seemed. Tifa found herself once again faced with the horrible, sinking feeling of saying something she had meant to keep to herself, locked away in the dark corners of her mind where pessimism reigned. She brushed past him towards the door as the color rose in her cheeks—it suddenly dawned on her that she'd forgotten to select a floor when she entered the elevator.

She continued to find the buttons extremely fascinating, pursing her lips for fear she might open her mouth and let something even stupider slip out and lamenting the fact that this was, without a doubt, the slowest elevator she'd ever been in. When, without warning, he turned her around to face him, she was both relieved and frightened to find that his smirk had vanished. Instead, he studied her intensely, eyebrows knit together in thought. She tried to avert her eyes, but she found that she couldn't look away, that he was silently bidding her to listen, even if she was scared.

"Surely you don't…" He paused briefly in contemplation, fingers brushing her cheek. "Surely you don't think that… after the heartbreak I endured, I would pursue something like this if I did not care for you?"

"I…" She felt like an idiot. It was true, most men were the same. But most men had never suffered what Vincent Valentine had suffered.

"…Or that I would use you like that, knowing you have experienced similar pain?" he went on.

"Vincent," she said, swallowing hard, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

He put a finger to her lips to silence her. He didn't look angry or even upset. Instead, a small, reassuring smile graced his lips. "It's all right, I understand. I certainly cannot blame you for wanting to make sure," he said simply, moving his hand away. "And now you have saved me the trouble of having to do the same," he added, and she couldn't help but allow herself to smile as well.

This time, when he leaned in for a kiss she met him halfway, not giving him time to hesitate like the god-awful tease he was. She melted into him completely, loving the way her body fit perfectly against his. His hands, an exhilarating combination of soft flesh and sharp metal, traced distracting paths along her form, eliciting a minute shudder. This was the kiss from last night, with all the passion, all of the implications, and none of the stifling, guilt-ridden inhibitions. It seemed very unfair that they were moments away from having to face a waiting group of travel companions, a cruel wake-up call that tainted the happy illusion of solitude and intimacy within the metal doors. The façade of the sanctuary was officially shattered when the elevator halted and a loud ding sounded above their heads, startling her into pulling away. She was about to step out with him when a thought struck her.

"Wait," she said, placing a hand on Vincent's arm to halt him, "If we go in together they'll be suspicious."

"Aren't they suspicious already?" he asked, looking entirely pleased with that fact.

"I don't want to make it worse, if I can help it," she explained, a bit apologetic.

He seemed to consider her for a moment before giving in. "If you insist," he stated, courteously hanging back while she proceeded to the lobby.

Tifa strode into the lobby, completely forgetting that she was late and everyone had been waiting. However, she was abruptly reminded when she saw the look on Cloud's face. "Umm, sorry," she spoke to the room, even though Cloud seemed to be the only one perturbed by her delayed arrival. She looked around with interest, deciding now was the best time to negate any notions the group may have been having. "…Where's Vincent?"

"You mean _you _haven't… _seen_ him?" Yuffie teased, sniggering.

"Ah, shut up ya goddamn brat!" Cid groused from a chair in the corner, chain-smoking to combat the fact that he clearly was not a morning person. To Tifa's surprise, he then turned to her and raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if he'd been justified in defending her.

She shrugged, looking mildly concerned. "I haven't seen him," she lied through her teeth, hoping she sounded believable. "Should we go look for him?" she asked, but her question was drowned out by Yuffie's loud, outraged reaction to Cid's outburst.

"What the hell do you know, old man? I oughta kick your sorry ass for saying that to me! Do you have _any idea_ who I _am_? I'm _Yuffie Kisaragi_, the Great Ninja _Warrior_, and I am _not_ gonna take that from some dried up, bow-legged, chain-smoking—"

"Would someone calm her down before she begins to foam at the mouth?"

"Oh don't _you _start on me, Vampy," Yuffie replied, rolling her eyes in exasperation at Vincent, who had just appeared at the top of the stairs. "Or are you looking for an ass-kicking? I'll take you _both_ on if I have to!" she threatened, hands straying to her shuriken.

Cloud stepped forward, obviously fed up with the current situation. "Yuffie…" he paused, not sure what he could say to pacify her. "Calm down," he said simply, and quickly ignored her irate comeback by moving on to Vincent. "Where were you?"

"In my room," Vincent answered calmly. "Were you expecting me to be somewhere else?"

Cloud eyed him appraisingly. "…In your room?" he repeated, paying no heed to the other man's question. "We were knocking on your door and calling you. How could you have slept through that?" Cloud knit his eyebrows, trying to catch Vincent in a lie, but not looking like he knew what he hoped to accomplish by doing so.

"It would seem I'm a very heavy sleeper," Vincent said significantly, effectively reminding everyone in the room that Vincent had spent three decades 'sleeping.'

Cloud still looked extremely skeptical, but didn't pursue anything further. Vincent's explanation was a rather poor one and everyone knew it, but Vincent was not a man to be argued with. Tifa wondered if Vincent enjoyed being incredibly intimidating.

Cloud scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "All right, so… now that we're all here, why don't we get moving?"

"Wait a damn minute," Cid cut in. "Do we even know where we're going?"

"I do!" Cait Sith assured. "Just head east towards the sea."

Everyone looked at him with obvious reluctance. Cait Sith's betrayal had of course created a breach in the group's trust, but his directions also sounded disconcertingly nebulous.

Cloud blinked a couple of times. "Right… well… why don't we split up and see what we can find? We'll cover more ground that way."

OoOoOoOoO

Tifa wasn't entirely sure how she'd gotten lucky enough to be in a group with Vincent, but she thought against questioning it. However, a group of three was ultimately less desirable than what she ideally hoped for. She really had nothing _against_ Yuffie, per se, but a third wheel, friend or not, was a third wheel nonetheless.

It also didn't help matters that Yuffie insisted on grilling them about their personal lives the entire time they trekked around the countryside. She mostly stuck with Vincent, as he was the only one who would supply her with any details, while Tifa had resolutely told Yuffie that nothing was going on each and every time she asked. But the problem with keeping her mouth shut was that Vincent had an embarrassing—and no doubt intentional—tendency to answer Yuffie's questions with tantalizingly ambiguous fabrications that only caused her to draw conclusions far beyond the reality of the situation.

"So, what, do you guys just sneak off and make out whenever you get the chance or something?" Yuffie narrowed her eyes, looking both dubious of the situation and excited over the chance to interrogate them. Tifa eyed them warily from a few paces back.

"Goodness, no," Vincent replied, trying to sound affronted. "…We do other things as well," he amended, completely casually.

"Like what!" Yuffie immediately asked with an exaggerated gasp, an impish grin plastered on her face.

"Let's just say…" Vincent began, beckoning Yuffie closer as he lowered his voice. "Boredom is never an issue, with the imagination Tifa has," he said, casting a smirk back in Tifa's direction, pretending to whisper this information in secret, accidentally-on-purpose speaking loud enough for Tifa to hear every word.

Yuffie's grin turned giddy as she rounded on Tifa. "Ooh, _really?_" she giggled, eyes glinting as she hung back to fall in step with Tifa. "Got some imagination, huh? Never would have picked her as the type!" she said with a snicker, sounding both shocked and impressed. "It's always the quiet ones…"

"_Vin-cent!_" Tifa hissed, blushing in mortification, hiding her red face in her hands.

"Aww, don't worry about it Teef," Yuffie reassured, slinging an arm around Tifa's shoulders amiably. "I know he's fulla shit," she said matter-of-factly, and Tifa couldn't stop herself from peeking between her fingers and raising an eyebrow. She'd thought that Yuffie was completely convinced that something was going on between her and Vincent. Had she really just been teasing the entire time? "But the look on your face was _too _priceless," Yuffie added, prodding her friend in the side.

Tifa gave Yuffie a dirty look, but was having difficulty staying mad at the grinning girl beside her.

"And seriously," Yuffie continued, "Like he'd even have a chance with you anyway," she scoffed. "Yeah, you _wish_, Vampy!" she shouted ahead at Vincent.

Vincent actually turned around and looked slightly offended at Yuffie's assessment. Tifa was surprised at his lack of aloofness, but was admittedly pleased that the tables had been turned and now _he _was the butt of ridicule, not to mention the fact that his romantic skill was being called into question. "Yeah _Vampy_," she agreed, unable to keep the smirk from her face and the amusement from her voice. "In your dreams!"

Vincent's eyebrows were raised so high Tifa thought they might lift right off his head. She giggled joyfully with Yuffie at her side, only laughing harder when Vincent looked rather pissed off over being poked fun at.

But when she caught his eye, he gave her a very pointed look reminding her of the reality of the situation, and who, in fact, was the one with frequent steamy fantasies regarding the two of them. She promptly shut up.

Once the mocking stopped, Tifa began to relax a little as they ventured along the dirt roads, looking for an ancient temple that could have been on the opposite side of the planet for all they knew. The term 'wild goose chase' had never had more meaning to Tifa. She wasn't even entirely sure such a place existed, but she was remaining positive for the group's sake. Anyway, wherever it was, it certainly didn't seem to be to the north, their designated area of search. Maybe the other party members had more luck in their respective locations.

Just when that thought entered her mind, a loud ringing sounded from ahead, and she looked up in time to see Vincent receive a phone call.

"Hello?… No… Well, quite frankly, I don't _know _where we are, where are you?" Tifa tried not to giggle at Vincent's obvious exasperation with Cloud. "…Yes… I see. Very well." Vincent hung up, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"Where is he?" Tifa asked, hoping Cloud had found the temple so they could stop their fruitless wandering.

"Wutai."

"_Wutai?_" Yuffie interjected loudly before Tifa got the chance. "…What's he doing there?" she asked, suppressing some of her earlier anxiousness.

Vincent sighed. "I would imagine he ended up there by doing the complete _opposite _of what Cait suggested."

Yuffie fidgeted.

"At any rate," Vincent continued, ignoring her odd behavior. "Seeing as it is nearly dark, Cloud has suggested that we find somewhere to stay for the night and try again tomorrow."

"S-so… His group's going to stay in Wutai then?"

"I would assume so."

"W-would… would you guys mind if I headed over there?"

Tifa frowned. "Well, no, I guess not, but I don't understand why you—"

"I'm from there ya know!" Yuffie said cheerfully, a little more loudly than necessary. "I figure it's an excuse to drop in on my old man, right?"

Not knowing what to make of this sudden development, Tifa looked to Vincent for a second opinion.

Vincent stared at her appraisingly. "…You know how to get there?"

"Of course! Didn't I just say I was from there?"

"Why don't we all go?" Tifa offered.

"No no!" Yuffie quickly answered. "That's totally all right. Wouldn't want to make you go out of the way just for me!

When they both open their mouths to protest again, she interrupted them. "_Seriously_. I'll be fine. I've got my PHS and everything!" She brandished her phone with a forced smile.

Tifa was rapidly appreciating the fact that there would be no reasoning with her, and by the look on Vincent's face, he was coming to the same conclusion.

"But are _you _guys gonna be okay without _me_?" she questioned ironically. "Wait, what am I talking about? You'll probably enjoy the _alone_ time," she drawled with a suggestive look. A split second later, she dropped the act. "Just kidding!" she assured, grinning widely at their somewhat bemused expressions. "Like that would ever happen! Though you know, you actually _would _make kind of a cute couple…" she added thoughtfully before wandering out of sight.

Vincent didn't look entirely unhappy to be rid of her, but Tifa just couldn't get over the fact that the one who had teased them the most, the one who she'd thought had them pegged from the very beginning, was actually the most clueless of all.

When she turned to her companion he smiled faintly at her, red eyes smoldering. She swallowed hard, a slight blush darkening her cheeks as she approached him, letting the implications of the circumstances sink in.

After many tortuously frustrating days and innumerable sleepless nights hoping _desperately_ for fate to cut her a break, Tifa suddenly, at long last, found herself very much alone with Vincent Valentine, miles away from any interruptions.

**XXXXXXXXX**

**A.N.: Well, there ya go. It seemed like a good place for a 'commercial break' as my friend called it XD And I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long on the next chapter, especially considering it's essentially already started.**

**Please review if you are so compelled! It is always vastly appreciated : )**


	13. Wild Ride

**A.N.: Um. Damn. I'm sure anything I could say here would just fall completely short of necessary, so I will just say that I'm _so _sorry it took me 11 months to post again (I hadn't even realized it been that long until the other day. Yikes.). I got really impatient at the end and posted without having anyone check the final draft for me, so… hope it's all right. Everyone is welcome to point out errors. Other than that, I hope you all read, review, and enjoy.**

* * *

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Tifa asked Vincent after a brief silence.

"I would imagine so. It was my understanding that she was wandering alone in the woods when you first met her."

Tifa nodded. In fact, she remembered being both surprised and a little amazed that a girl so young (and so quick to fly off the handle) was so skilled in combat and was making it so well on her own. "But still…" she pressed, moving on to the issue that was of more concern to her. "What do you think she's up to?"

Vincent shook his head slightly, looking off into the distance, into which Yuffie had recently and most unceremoniously disappeared while spouting cryptic nonsense about visiting her 'old man' in Wutai. "I haven't the faintest idea. However, I think we are better off having no part in it."

Tifa wholeheartedly agreed. Between the search for Sephiroth and her own personal conflicts, she had enough to think about without trying to get involved with Yuffie's inexplicable shenanigans—let Cloud and the others handle it, whatever it was. "Right. So…" She scanned the horizon, squinting at the slowly setting sun. "Where are _we_ going to go?"

She turned to Vincent and waited for a response, but he seemed to be taking a moment to consider their situation. The seconds ticked by, and she was starting to wonder if he was, for the first time in as long as she'd known him, unsure about what to do. She frowned at the thought. She hadn't realized until that very moment that she had somewhat been depending on Vincent knowing what their next move should be. Just when she was beginning to get a bit nervous, he finally spoke. "Hmm. Bearing in mind that we do not know where we are and the fact that Cloud was a bit premature in telling us to turn in for the night, I think we ought to head east."

Tifa, too, felt that packing it in now, with dusk still quite far away, was a fantastic waste of time, especially considering that they were perhaps farther from their destination than when they had set out that morning. "East? Really?" When he at last turned to look at her, she scanned his face for any sign of a jest, but found nothing. " You…You think Cait Sith was right?" She was admittedly taken aback, but she was sure he'd have a good reason.

He shrugged. "I have my doubts. Despite that, at the moment, east seems to be the most logical conclusion. We have traveled just about as far north on this continent as we can go without crossing the mountains, heading south would bring us back the way we have come, and Cloud has already gone west and found nothing. There is nowhere else to search but the east."

Tifa blinked at how quickly he had determined their next move, especially considering only a minute ago she'd been worried he didn't have a plan. He'd probably had every step mapped out in his head before they'd even left the Gold Saucer that morning.

Vincent continued, not caring about her lack of response. "Or, if you prefer, I want to go east because it is the exact opposite of what Cloud would do," he added with amusement.

At this, Tifa couldn't help but giggle, as well as appreciate all the _other_ things that Vincent did that were the exact opposite of what Cloud would do.

However, this unexpected 'alone time' was turning out much differently than she had imagined. Being alone with Vincent at a hotel or near a lake or in an elevator wasn't nearly the same as being alone with Vincent while they were in the middle of making their journey. He was quieter, more focused, and much less playful. Tifa supposed this was a result of Turk training from years ago and it was quite fascinating and impressive to witness, to be sure, when Vincent was like this, but he wasn't nearly as much fun to have as company.

Without Yuffie around, the conversation had turned primarily to their mission, much to Tifa's disappointment. Although, while it wasn't one of the most fun topics she could have hoped for, she supposed it was necessary. They were gearing towards something very significant in their journey, she could feel it, and maybe taking some time to discuss that wasn't such a bad thing.

Either way, she figured things would pick up once they found a place to stay for the night. Even she wasn't entirely sure what things 'picking up' would entail, but she decided she would worry about that when the time came.

Even if Tifa had wanted to contemplate the night that awaited for her and Vincent, the terrible turn in the weather would not have allowed her to do so for long.

"When did it get so cold?" she found herself mumbling as the increasingly frigid and violent wind streaked by yet again. It had only been a few weeks ago that she was strolling by the water on a humid and sultry night.

As soon as that thought had crossed her mind, she was draped in something warm and heavy, Vincent's cloak suddenly shielding her from the wind and cold.

She looked up at him, surprised. "Thanks," she said brightly, thankful for something to break the silence that had settled in over the past hour or so.

"You're welcome."

All of sudden she was aware of how dark it was getting, far too early for sunset. Ominous black clouds were rolling in, obscuring the sun and turning the air even colder. Their situation was rapidly turning grim, and she let out a sigh of frustration when she felt the first icy raindrops on her face.

"Perhaps we ought to turn in earlier than we planned," Vincent muttered as they stopped near a small cave that offered some shelter from the downpour, and Tifa couldn't have been more relieved.

Unfortunately, there was a huge difference between deciding to find somewhere to stay and doing the actual finding. Tifa nodded in agreement with Vincent's sentiment for a few moments, before finally asking the obvious question. "But where? Where are we going to stay?"

To her immense surprise, Vincent looked almost sheepish. "Actually, I was hoping you had something in mind."

Tifa blinked. Sure, she didn't _really _expect Vincent to have all the answers, and had more been thinking out loud than actually looking to him for direction, but his lack of a plan still caught her off guard. Perhaps his planning prowess didn't extend to unforeseen circumstances. He raised an eyebrow expectantly, and her bashfulness was ten times what he'd displayed just a moment ago. She blushed and cleared her throat. "To be perfectly honest, I don't even know where we _are _right now."

Vincent smirked slightly. "That makes two of us. But I suppose that's what they make maps for?" he said with mild amusement as he searched their bags and brought out the aforementioned item. They both leaned over the unfolded paper curiously.

Tifa studied it for a moment. "So we're… here?" she said uncertainly, pointing to a peninsula in the northeast part of the continent.

Vincent 'hmmed' thoughtfully and nodded.

She pursed her lips. "Then we're near Costa del Sol," she concluded.

"Yes, it would seem so."

Just like that, Tifa's mood improved considerably. "Well, let's go there, then!" she suggested cheerfully. "We've got a house there, after all."

Vincent frowned a bit. "We?"

It had slipped her mind that Vincent hadn't been a part of their group when they first visited Costa del Sol and purchased a house with their collective funds. "Cloud. And me," Vincent's frown deepened, and she continued. "And everyone else, except you and Cid, I guess. We bought it before we met you," she explained, fishing her key out of her bag and showing it to him.

Vincent looked vaguely impressed. "It's big enough for all of you, then?"

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Actually, there's only one bedroom. I… guess the idea was for us to stay there at _separate_ times."

Vincent smirked at her again, but good-naturedly. "Suffering a bit of buyer's remorse?"

Tifa grimaced—he didn't even know the half of it. Lack of space aside, it had _also _been ridiculously overpriced.

However, despite the fact that the one-bedroom bungalow was extremely impractical and had cost a small fortune, Tifa couldn't have been more grateful for its existence at the moment. She and Vincent arrived in Costa del Sol well after nightfall, and it was amazing how different the resort town was than the last time she'd been there. During the party's brief stay a while back, the streets had been completely packed with tourists, street vendors, and sun-baked locals during the day, and at night, bars and clubs with brightly colored neon signs served even more luridly colored cocktails while pounding music drifted through the open doors.

Now, it was barely recognizable as the same tourist trap she'd visited a few months ago. It was what she could only imagine was the 'off season,' which seemed to contribute to the almost complete desertion throughout the city. She imagined the absolutely abysmal weather wasn't helping either. It certainly made _her _want to stay inside instead of hitting the town.

And she was hoping the 'indoors' part would come sooner rather than later. Vincent's cloak had been effective enough against the gusting winds, but it did little to protect her from the deluge. She was soaked right down to her skin and was starting to shiver from the rapidly dropping temperature. She hurried towards the door of the villa, digging out her key and fumbling for the lock with single-minded intensity. She was so concerned with finding shelter from the rain that it took a moment for the gravity of the situation to weigh down on her yet again. While she struggled briefly with an unfamiliar lock whose key seemed to get a bit stuck, she became suddenly aware of Vincent looming behind her, an equally exciting and foreboding presence.

Earlier, when it abruptly occurred to her that she was completely alone with him, she hadn't fully understood just _how _alone they really were. They were miles away from anyone they knew, from any interruptions, and she had just invited him into what was basically her home. It would have been different, somehow, if they'd been in a hotel—strangers sleeping in neighboring rooms, separated by walls too thin to provide any kind of privacy, or an opportunity to get two rooms instead of one, or even—

Or even two _beds_ instead of just one, she thought to herself with mild trepidation as she made a beeline for the bedroom and dropped her things on the dresser, because she was so, _so _sure that when they bought the place there had been _two _beds in the bedroom…

She stared at the seashell-patterned bedspread, trying to make a decision, as Vincent walked in behind her and took note of the lone double bed in the middle of the room. She glanced at him as he, too, seemed to assessing the situation. It would be small to share, certainly, but manageable, and the idea of either one of them spending the night on the couch seemed completely absurd, after all they'd been through. And if a whole _bed _had gone missing, she figured she'd have to be really lucky to find extra blankets.

Vincent cleared his throat. "I suppose I'll sleep on the c—"

"—No, you won't," she cut him off, sharply.

He frowned uncertainly. "I wouldn't want you to be the one who—"

"—I'm not sleeping on the couch either," she said, with less confidence than before, nervousness settling in her stomach.

He watched her carefully for a moment, possibly looking for some sign of jest. "All right," he conceded, obviously finding her to be genuine, though he still sounded as though he expected her to change her mind immediately afterward. A few beats passed and he glanced at her again, appearing decidedly less serious. "Would it be terribly cliché of me to suggest we get out of these wet clothes?" he asked, with a distinctly sly undertone.

Tifa laughed, grateful for the lighthearted relief from the tension. "That would depend on your intention. If you're just voicing your concern about the possibility of us catching pneumonia, then I can't really hold that against you, now can I?" she said teasingly, unwrapping herself from his sodden cloak and handing it to him, before retrieving something to sleep in from her bag and heading to the bathroom.

She closed the bathroom door and blinked dazedly as she flipped the light switch. She frowned at herself in the mirror—the harsh florescent light was anything but flattering, and her rain-drenched hair did nothing to improve the overall look. She pulled out a brush to see if she could at least get some of the more severe tangles out, while once trying Cloud's number once more on her PHS. She'd been trying to call him since she and Vincent had made the decision to go to Costa del Sol, but his phone was either off or he wasn't answering. She sighed when she yet again got voicemail and figured it was time to finally leave a message letting him know where they were and that they were safe. When she hung up she turned her own phone off. If he decided to call back, it could wait until morning.

When she started to get changed, she hesitated. Habit of sleeping alone hadn't made her all too concerned about modesty when choosing her sleepwear. She pursed her lips at the flimsy fabric—perfectly all right when she didn't feel her decency was an issue, but another thing altogether when sharing a room and bed with someone else.

Of course, Tifa knew she'd have to be kidding herself if she were going to pretend that Vincent was like any other 'someone else.' Just as one voice was telling her that skimpy pajamas might give him the wrong idea, another voice reminded her that she'd been intentionally giving him the wrong idea for months and it didn't really matter _how_ skimpy her pajamas were—it was highly unlikely they'd be staying on for long anyway.

She flushed at the thought and checked her reflection again, flicking off the lights and venturing into the darkened hallway. She walked slower than was strictly necessary, trying to pretend she was less tense than she really felt. She stopped briefly at the window, the one with the view of the neighboring countryside rather than the beach, watching as the intense lightning illuminated the ground and the fierce wind tore the withering blossoms from the trees. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and entered the bedroom.

Vincent had already found his way under the sheets and was gazing at the ceiling, seemingly in thought. With another embarrassed blush, Tifa couldn't help but wonder what _he _chose to wear to bed, and whether or not she'd soon be finding out. She walked to the unoccupied side of the bed to turn off the lamp and decided not to dwell on that thought, settling herself between the blankets without a word.

She found herself staring at the ceiling just like Vincent was, letting her eyes acclimate to the darkness. She chanced a sidelong glance in his direction, but he didn't seem to notice. "Vincent," she said suddenly, not even sure why she did it, her voice sounding strange as it broke the silence. He turned to look at her and his face came into clearer view as her eyes adjusted.

For a moment they just watched each other. It occurred to Tifa that she should say something. Something profound, or at least somewhat significant, though really _anything_ was better than _nothing at all_. "I…" she attempted, but didn't know how to continue. Weeks' worth of fantasizing about this very moment had not been _nearly_ enough preparation for when it actually arrived.

Of course, words had never seemed necessary in her daydreams. Maybe reality was like that too. She didn't know who initiated it, but they were slowly moving closer to one another. Their lips met and she was amazed at how different it felt from previous times. The first time had been careful, setting a precedent. Subsequent kisses had been rushed, frantic in an effort to prove a point or to get away with it before someone interrupted. This time it was deliberate, the implication painfully clear. There was no doubt about what this kiss was leading to. There was no chance for either of them to pull back, smile mischievously and retreat, leaving the other hot, bothered, and frustratingly alone. She couldn't back out of this if she wanted to.

But she wasn't just doing this because the opportunity was perfect. She would have done this a thousand times by now if circumstances had permitted. Fate wasn't forcing her into this, it was finally allowing her to have it. But when he pressed a bit closer, she pulled away. It wasn't meant to be a tease or a rejection. She just had to stop and catch her breath for a moment because this was _actually happening_. After months of unsubtly hinting and coyly denying that they both wanted it, it was happening.

"Tifa," Vincent murmured, seeming to take her hesitance as an attempt to torment him by backing out, "I am not playing around anymore." There was a slight growl to his voice and she couldn't ignore the way her body reacted to it.

She moved against him, closing the distance she created a moment ago. "Neither am I," she breathed, pressing her mouth to his once more.

So much time spent picturing this moment had her believing that the real thing could never live up to her imagination of it. She was never happier to be wrong. Her mind could never have accurately conceived what it felt like to touch him, to have him touch her after wanting to for so long.

And if she had forfeited the game by finally submitting to this, she certainly didn't feel like she lost, not when this proved to be as gratifying as her optimistic fantasies and Vincent's confident attitude had promised. But he had given in, just as she had, and she should have realized from the very beginning that there was no way either one of them could actually _lose_ their twisted little game.

Later, lying next to him, feeling contentedly sleepy and sated, she undeniably felt victorious. Not yielding to this temptation would have been an excruciating loss indeed.

Waking up the next morning was very pleasant. Physically, she felt better than she had in a long time, both from last night's activities and the good night's sleep she managed to get in spite of them. The bed was cozy and comfortable and the room itself, despite the tacky beach décor, felt far more like a home than any of the sterile hotels she'd slept in recently. Nicer still was waking up with someone beside her. However, when she sidled over to snuggle up the warm body next to her, she only felt the mattress beneath her fingers. She wasn't immediately too concerned—the sheets were still warm—but the other side of the bed was disappointingly empty.

She tried to open her bleary eyes in confusion to figure out where Vincent had gone. As her mind came into sharper focus she realized there was some shuffling and muted words coming from near the doorway. Her vision was still fuzzy, but she could see Vincent packing his things and talking quietly into his phone. He glanced at her when she sat up.

"What're—" she tried to ask him, but he didn't seem to be listening.

"Yes, she's awake now. You can talk to her. One moment," he strode over to her and held out the PHS to her. She blinked at it, having awakened too recently to quickly comprehend that someone wanted to talk to her. "Cloud," Vincent explained. "He got your message and will be here with everyone else shortly. He says they know exactly where we need to go now. How soon can you be ready?"

"I, um… I don't know, maybe ten, fifteen minutes?"

Vincent nodded in assent, and then again to indicate the phone. "He would like to speak with you."

Tifa frowned slightly, not seeing the point. "Probably to yell at me for not having my phone on. Like he can talk, I couldn't get a hold of him all night."

"You'll find he actually has a reasonable excuse," he said, handing her the phone and moving to up one of the bags.

"He does? What is it?" she asked with interest, but Vincent just shook his head.

"I'm sure he'd rather tell you himself," he said flatly, leaving the room with his things.

"Hello?" she said curiously into the receiver. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as Cloud began to tell her what had happened to him and the other party members in Wutai.

"Yuffie did _what?_"

* * *

Twenty minutes later she and Vincent had joined the others in the buggy, Yuffie looking sufficiently contrite for stealing everyone's materia, Cait Sith upside down and stuffed unceremoniously in the trunk to give the flesh and blood occupants more breathing room—all potential sympathy for him had been lost when they discovered he was a spy.

Looking across the car at Vincent who stared enigmatically back, Tifa finally started to acknowledge the fact that she was bothered by the way things had transpired that morning. She hadn't thought to hope for cuddling or anything of the sort and that somehow wasn't even what she really wanted, all things considered. And supposing Cloud _hadn't _called, she doubted they'd have had the time or good conscience to indulge in pillow talk or anything that was decidedly more intimate.

What bothered her was that he almost acted as if nothing had changed. If he had simply gone back to the way things had been less than twenty four hours earlier—the playful banter, the silences that were somehow comfortable despite the mounting and then unresolved sexual tension—that wouldn't have sparked the sharp pang of panic in her gut. It was the way he acted as if the past few months had never happened. As if they'd never had a relationship that was anything other than comrades. As if it were perfectly normal for them to wake up naked in the same bed. He hadn't even spared her a small smile or a few kind words as they'd gathered their things to wait for the others to arrive.

She wanted _something_. She didn't need heartfelt confessions of how special it was or how much he loved her, but she needed _some _indication that he even acknowledged it at _all_.

She turned her eyes to the window when she couldn't stand his unreadable gaze any longer. She was telling herself not to be clingy, that she'd known since the very beginning that something like this could and was likely to happen. But internal pep talks were of no use, because this wasn't _right_. She'd been so careful, been so sure that she wasn't going to end up being used. She'd made her vulnerabilities completely clear and had learned some of his in return.

It hurt, because it wasn't supposed to turn out like this.

The rest of the trip passed slowly and mostly uneventfully. Yuffie and Cid got into another loud argument until Barret shut them up with insults even more inventive than the ones the two of them were throwing around. A few times, Aeris tried to catch her eye and silently inquire what happened with her and Vincent, but Tifa just turned back to the window to watch the passing streams and mountains.

By the time they reached the hotel they'd be staying in for the night, her resolve had toughened considerably and she knew that pouting wouldn't get her anywhere. His indifference still stung a bit, but it wasn't like he'd gotten any more out of last night than she had. She was, she thought, still at the point where she could separate a physical encounter from her feelings towards him, so that's what she decided to do. She'd really enjoyed what she shared with him, however brief, and if it never happened again, then that was just how it was going to be.

She was slow dragging her things in, because she still had a lot to think about, but she still beat Cloud, who lingered behind to make sure the car was secure and double-check their route for tomorrow.

The innkeeper went into the back to find her the key to her room, while his son was kind enough to bring her bags to the second floor. While Tifa waited at the counter, she felt someone watching her and she had no doubts about who it was. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, but decided to pretend that she hadn't noticed him. However, he became harder to ignore when he slid up to the counter next to her. She thought it would probably be immature to give him the silent treatment, but if he wasn't going to say something first, she certainly didn't feel obligated to do it.

"Tifa."

Reluctantly, she turned to look at him.

"…You're upset," he assessed with a frown, and the urge to roll her eyes was difficult to ignore.

Even so, she wasn't really sure what to say to that, and she pursed her lips as she tried to think of something.

Apparently taking her silence for assent, Vincent sighed and continued. "You have to understand—" he attempted, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I do understand," she interrupted, because that really was the truth. It was easy to pursue someone who showed interest in you when self-worth was probably an issue. It was easy to sleep with someone you didn't technically love and then wake up the next morning and discover that it was a mistake. It was especially easy to do when you were hurting from a romance that didn't blossom and feelings that were never returned. She definitely understood. "It's fine. Really. I don't want to talk about it right now," she said hurriedly, trying to make her escape when the innkeeper returned and handed over her key plus a spare, eyeing them perplexedly.

She only made it a few steps until she felt a hand grab her arm and spin her around, planting her firmly against the wall.

"No, we are going to talk about this now," Vincent said quietly, but smirked faintly and lightened his tone when he saw the mild alarm on her face, "Because you don't seem to be listening."

Tifa relaxed only somewhat in his grip. She at least felt reassured that he wasn't angry at her, but such close proximity to him—despite the fact that their attraction had reached a physical culmination, or perhaps because of it—still set off butterflies in her stomach. Her heart was pounding in her chest, either from him or the shock he gave her or perhaps both, and she drew a shaky breath. "Okay. I'm listening."

"Good." He let her go, but didn't move any farther away. "Tifa, is this mission important to you?"

"I, umm…" she stammered, caught completely off guard by the question. "What?"

"Is this mission important to you?"

"Of course it is," she replied easily, now that she had time to get a grasp on what he was asking her. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't," she said fervently, and she really meant it. Putting a stop to ShinRa, Sephiroth, and everyone who hurt her in the past and wanted to hurt others in the future was more vital than anything. "But what—"

This time, he was the one who held up his hand to stop her from talking. "It's important to me, too. When Cloud called and woke me up this morning to let us know he knew where we needed to go, it was important. Taking the next step to completing this mission is vital. Staying focused is _vital_," He paused briefly, watching her with intense concentration. "And I think I would be correct in assuming that you would be just as disappointed in yourself as I would be in myself were we to lose sight of what we are here for."

Tifa watched him carefully for a moment before replying. "You don't want to get distracted," she said slowly, neither a statement nor a question.

"I don't. Do you?"

"No," she said shaking her head vaguely, and this morning finally made sense. She remembered what Vincent had been like yesterday as they traveled—more reticent, more serious—and she had chalked it up to unforgotten Turk training. She figured it would take a pretty lousy Turk to forget his duty because there was a naked woman in his bed. "The mission should come first."

"Precisely," he nodded.

Tifa had to admit she felt better. Vincent hadn't ignored her this morning because he'd gotten what he wanted and was no longer interested, he'd just received a literal wake-up call reminding him what required more attention at that moment. She was actually a little embarrassed at herself for not realizing that sooner. Maybe she had gotten distracted. It was disappointing, sure, if he want to put their relationship on hold or end it altogether because it caused preoccupation, but it wasn't like she hadn't gotten anything out of it. It wasn't like there wasn't still hope for later on.

"So you understand?" Vincent prompted.

"I understand. It's important to have our priorities in order."

"I certainly agree," he said, leaning close again, and she narrowed her eyes in confusion. "And the way I see it, we have them all sorted out…" She felt him reach behind her and slip something into her back pocket, "The daytime should be for fighting our enemies and traveling to our next destination, but the night is ours to spend however we wish."

Tifa gaped at him for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened. "So you—so you're not saying we shouldn't—"

He silenced her with a kiss, a brief one, but thorough enough to make her properly shut up. "I am saying if we spent every night from now on the same way we did last night, I certainly wouldn't be complaining," he said slyly, and was gone before she even had time to fully comprehend what he'd even said.

She wondered distantly how he always got away with things like that. In the past few hours he had offered her what she'd been craving for months, given her the impression that he'd been regretting the entire thing, made her think he wanted to end it, then slyly let her know that ending it was the furthest thing from his mind.

She shook her head ruefully, but still smiling, the feeling of victory from the night before fading as she began to really appreciate the fact that Vincent was still a master of manipulation, and was just as unpredictable to her as he'd been from the very beginning. He'd taken her on a wild ride that frightened, confused, excited and frustrated and left her barely any closer to understanding him than she was at the start.

At least this time, she thought, smile widening as she took his spare room key out from her pocket and examined it, the torturous head games were an optional side trip to the main destination. She pocketed the key again, fully intending to use it as the soonest possible opportunity.

She was heading towards the stairs when she noticed that Cloud had been watching her. She stopped and looked back at him, wondering how long he'd been there and how much he had witnessed. But the interrogation she was expecting never came. Cloud didn't say a word or even seem to acknowledge that she had noticed he was there.

But Tifa could swear she saw a small, knowing smile on his face as he turned away, graciously acting as if he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.

* * *

**A.N.: I can't believe it's over! But I won't say it doesn't come without a certain amount of relief. Everyone who has enjoyed and reviewed this story has just been so wonderful. Thank you so, so much. You have all been a joy to write for. You're the people I do this for : )**

**There is a small possibility of a small epilogue… but we shall cross that bridge when we get there.**

**For now, if you have something to say, whatever it is, then please review! I love to hear from everyone.**

**Thanks again. Much love.**

**--Stina.**


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